Order from us for quality, customized work in due time of your choice.
Introduction
Research that seeks to examine literary sources in-depth to identify hidden meanings, messages, and applied rhetorical tools is part of an effective strategy for the academic study of the literary sciences. A great variety of artistic and poetic works have traditionally been classified into works closely associated with the cultural code within which the authors realized their creative potential. Thus, while ancient Greek poems and epics centered on the tragedy of the hero, works from the Golden Age of Spain were oriented toward the praise of such philosophical categories as love, art, and eroticism.
This research paper aims at a coherent critical literary evaluation, supported by rhetorical and semantic analyses. The subjects were three poems by Spanish authors of the fifteenth and seventeenth centuries in which the themes of Neoplatonic love and passion were central. The work is a useful material, relevant to the reader both in terms of new names in medieval European poetry and in summarizing the rhetorical devices characteristic of the golden period.
Teresa de Ávila
The concept of Neoplatonic love is large in essence, and thus its presence can be found even in those lines in which there are no direct references to love as such. For instance, in the poem Vivo sin vivir en mí, the fifteenth-century Spanish poet Teresa de Cepeda y Ahumada, or Teresa de Ávila, as she is more commonly called, addresses the futility of being in the absence of interest in life. Only God, according to the lyrical character, has the power and the right to control human existence, breathing new energy into it or taking away its last powers. First of all, it is worth specifying that Teresa de Ávila was a nun and a follower of the institution of Catholic Christianity (Santa Teresa de Jesús).
Under the church, de Ávila performed the role of healer and soon founded the Discalced Carmelites Order; her name means even literature more. In particular, the womans figure is associated with the era of Spanish mysticism, in which Teresa de Ávila wrapped her unconditional love for God. Because of her merits during her lifetime, both religious and literary contexts, the writer is rightly considered one of the best authors of the Spanish Golden Age.
The central theme of the poem Vivo sin vivir en mí ( I Live Not Within Myself ) was an existential question concerning the meaning of human existence. Deprived of purpose and hope, the individual can hardly live happily and exists literally without actually living. The philosophical dilemma raised by the author is defined by such timeless categories as existence and life : Teresa de Ávila argues that it is possible to exist without life if such being is deprived of its primary meaning and purpose.
In fact, being physically on Earth does not guarantee peace of mind and equilibrium at all. Many people even today reflect on how vain an existence limited to the satisfaction of basic needs and devoid of mission can be (Higuera). Thus, the poetess lays bare the existential crisis questions that any person may one day face regardless of the era. Why should I live? Does my existence have a purpose? What am I meant for?
It is worth noting right away that the careful reader will not find the answer to these and other questions in Vivo sin vivir en mí. On the contrary, in this poem, the poet does not give any apparent answers but only creates the story that illustrates the depth of experience combined with obsessive suicidal thoughts. A unique example of mystical poetry, the poem integrates a persons down-to-earth experiences with an appeal to the God responsible for an individuals life.
The title itself guarantees that the reader will receive a poem about a soul longing to see the Almighty and right now deciding the necessity of physical life. Nevertheless, after a close reading, one may wonder about the presence of the theme of Neoplatonic love in this literary work. In fact, devoid of scenes of eroticism, love fantasies, or intimate experiences, the poem instead refers to something more splendid, eternal, and beyond the physical, namely infinite love and affection for God. It is an intriguing interpretation of an ancient Greek philosophical current, and therefore a literary analysis of Vivo sin vivir en mí is of heightened interest.
I live now beyond myself / after having died of love / for I live within the Lord (de Jesús, lines 4-6).
A transcription of de Ávilas own life experience expressed through the poetic I reflects the extent of the authors practice. While still alive, she resents and longs for death in order to unite with God as soon as possible. There is an apparent paradox in the authors soul: she is full of love and heartfelt affection, but this feeling ruins her because the one with whom she is infinitely in love cannot give her an answer.
Oh, this life is so very long! / how grievous are these exiles / this prison, these iron shackles / by which the soul is trapped! (de Jesús, lines 18-21).
In fact, de Ávila is locked in a prison, and her overseer is the Almighty. It is this feeling that is the real reflection of unrequited platonic love. In the lines instead of the Lord, the doubting reader can imagine any other man, and then it becomes clear that the theme of the poem is romantic affection without vulgarity or sex, but full of the mystery of the soul and profound experiences. Understanding this leads to an intriguing twist in the poem: In order to experience Gods love, the woman must die.
Do not tarry for, your arrival, I long expect (de Jesús, line 37).
However, this love is not destined to come true only because of the authors wishes. Christian commandments forbid a religious person to commit suicide even to meet God, so all that remains for the woman is to wait for God to take her (Denison). Waiting kills her, and such a life is a burden on the author.
Written in the eight-syllable form, the poem skillfully combines some excellent rhetorical devices. Thus, an essential part of the poem is the paradox, legitimately reflected at the end of each line, when the author writes that she is Im dying because Im not dead (de Jesús). This distinction allows for the creation of two non-overlapping realities, the earthly and the spiritual, at the boundary of which the protagonist stands. She already knows for sure that she is not destined to enter Gods world now, so by taking Earth toward returning to Earth, the woman pours out her own sorrows and hopes.
Moreover, the ubiquitous use of the pronoun I adds to the intimacy of the poem, and at some point, the reader may feel as if they are peeking in on someone elses love. In this sense, it is more appropriate to classify the poem as a personal prayer in which the character exposes her affection. Neoplatonic tendencies of unrequited love are openly revealed in the fifth stanza of the poem when de Ávila uses such metaphors as bitter life, sweet love, and endless waiting (de Jesús, lines 25, 27-28). This description conveys the depth of the inner infinite love and longing from the impossibility of soulful union with God.
San Juan de la Cruz
A similar fate is typical of another famous Spanish poet, mystic, church teacher, and monk who was a central figure of the Spanish Counter-Reformation. It is talking about Juan de la Cruz, known not only for his canonical works of poetry but also for his close communion with de Ávila (St John of the Cross). Similar religious experiences at such an excellent time for Spain, reinforced by personal encounters with de Ávila, influenced de la Cruzs poetic activity. This can be seen both in the semantic orientation of his work the predominant majority of it is written on themes of love and God and in the use of traditional Golden Age rhetorical devices, whether metaphors or repetition.
The five-syllable poem Canciones Del Alma was chosen as the material to be analyzed, defining the effects of Neoplatonic love and eroticism in the best possible way. The poems central theme was the lyrical characters wandering into the night, walking toward the divine lover. Expressed linearly, it is a story of the protagonists journey, full of heartache and doubt. The soul was not free initially, as earthly attachments and trouble cloud it. The only personal effort, catalyzed by Gods will, can be a sufficient resource for liberation.
In the dark of night / aflame with the craving of loves fire / what luck / I left when no one noticed / while my house was hushed in sleep (de la Cruz, lines 1-5)
The house, transfixed by peace, is nothing other than the characters devastated soul. It no longer feels human affections and cares, and only Night contributes to its continued development. It is not a vulgar or sordid love that takes place fleetingly between two strangers. On the contrary, what de la Cruz describes is about inner harmony primarily with oneself, which should be encouraged at the end. The Catholic poet deftly turns to words when he seeks to describe the role of such Neoplatonic affection:
In secret, where no one saw me / and I saw nothing / there was no light to see by / but the love-flame in my heart (de la Cruz, lines 12-15).
No one meets the character on the night road, and consequently, her only companion is herself. At one point, it may seem as if the author is deliberately playing with the readers emotions, as she does not provide answers but only narrates the brides journey. From the average persons perspective, the world she perceives with her senses is the foundation for life, and her home gives her joys and pleasures. Nevertheless, only truly devoid of these cares does a woman find her happiness by trusting in divine darkness. The power of true, burning love helps her to light the way brighter than the sun at noon. Thus, the character who has passed through the ordeal of the night is entitled to love, which she will eventually receive.
In that perfection, blessed, I rested still, / my face against the Lovers breast / everything stopped (de la Cruz, lines 40-43).
Fray Luis de León
Another significant name discussed in this study is that of the religious scholar, translator of sacred texts, and poet Luis de León. In describing his writings, many authors refer to him as the greatest poet of the Spanish Renaissance, who synthesized biblical themes with Neoplatonic mysticism (Luis de León). The five-syllable poem chosen for analysis, The Night Serene, skillfully combines these themes to tell the story of the protagonists spiritual experiences. Finding himself at a crossroads, he ponders the frailty of existence and the meaninglessness of unconscious human existence.
Alas! arise, weak mortals, / And measure all your loss! (de León, lines 26-27).
With such a phrase, the character addresses his fellow human beings in order to awaken their consciousness. It is as if the man is saying that there is a reality beyond the animal concerns, full of true love and mystery, to which the eye must be directed. The earth in the work appears only as a platonic copy of heaven, where in its perfect, ideal being, all the matter of the world resides.
Then love and longing waken / the anguish of my soul (de León, lines 1-2)
By renouncing the frailty of such a prison existence, the author seeks to ascend to an alternative, extraterrestrial reality. It is clear from the lines of the text that man is given the opportunity to find true freedom and to escape both from the prison of a corrupt world and from his earthly existence. This is the episodes demonstration of a subtle Neoplatonic love, for the character does not want a physical relationship with the earth, but he longs for sensual love. In addition, he encourages other people of the planet to these feelings, showing an unconditional and unselfish concern for his neighbors.
Nor sob the last decision / to rend the bond that ties / his soul a captive from such blissful skies? (de León, lines 68-70)
Whereas previous authors more obviously showed the protagonists love for God, in The Night Serene, the emphasis was placed on the intangible attachment of the human soul to the universe. Thus, de León was able to know the majesty of the universe, and his soul returned to the embrace of existence, but he continues to mourn those who are enslaved to their physical senses. Nevertheless, it is not the denunciation of the wretched that is the message of the poem, but the illustration of the outcome that awaits the soul that has followed the path of Neoplatonism (Krasny).
The last three stanzas of the poem perfectly describe this reality, full, in the authors words, of Mid joys and glories swelling, Sacred Love, Immensurable Beauty, and Green pasturelands and rills! (de León, lines 73,75,76,80,82). Ultimately, de León does not answer the questions of how to know the fabric of the universe or what will become of people left subdued by physical passions. Instead, the reader is invited to judge for himself which side of the dual reality they are willing to accept.
Works Cited
de Jesús, Santa Teresa. Vivo sin vivir en mí. Lyrics Translate, 2018. Web.
de la Cruz, San Juan. Canciones Del Alma. Translation of Light. 2019. Web.
de León, Luis. The Night Serene. Hispanic Anthology. 2000. Web.
Denison, Jim. What Does the Bible Say About Suicide? Denison Forum. 2020. Web.
Higuera, Valencia. What Is an Existential Crisis, and How Do I Break Through It. Healthline. 2018. Web.
Krasny, Alex. Neoplatonic Philosophy of Beauty and Love in Renaissance Literature. Magical Beauty at the Turn of the 15th and 16th Century. Steemit. 2018. Web.
Luis de León. Britannica. 2021. Web.
Santa Teresa de Jesús. Poeticous. 2020. Web.
St John of the Cross. OCD. 2020. Web.
Welch, Gregory. 5 Tips On How to Write a Mystical Poem. The Startup. 2020. Web.
Order from us for quality, customized work in due time of your choice.