Esteban Manuel de Villegas
Encyclopedia
Esteban Manuel de Villegas (* Matute
, La Rioja
, 5 February 1589; † Nájera
, La Rioja
, 3 September 1669) was a 17th century Spanish
poet
.
and enrolled at the University of Salamanca
on 20 November 1610. He was the royal treasurer in Nájera, but did not obtain any of the positions he wanted. Despite coming from a wealthy family, he spent his entire life in financial difficulties due to his numerous children and his continuous involvement in litigation. At the age of 36, he married Doña Antonia de Leyva Villodas, twenty years younger than he. In 1659 he was tried by the Inquisition
which accused him of believing himself in possession of the absolute truth. The defendant was jailed when he said, of his own free will
that he knew more of thorny questions than the Church Fathers
, and wrote satires against religious communities. Many of these writings are lost, as they were confiscated by the Inquisition. The Inquisition condemned him to four years of exile in Santa María de Ribarredonda, but he was pardoned after a year, and died at the age of 84 in Nájera.
The book is divided into two parts; the first is written in heptasyllables, imitation of anacreon
tic style and matter; the second is in endecasyllables, being historical in content. It contained very delicate poems in short meters, which he managed with special skill. This book of poems contains very free translations of Horace
, elegies
, idyll
s, epigram
s and some sonnet
s. It handles the syllables quantitatively and it uses Sapphic
, Adonic, and anacreontic
meters rather than the forms then current in Spanish literature. This is why his poetry is purely formal, strictly following form and with many circumlocutions. For this reason he set a strong precedent for Neoclassicism
in the 18th century. His longer works have a strong flavour of culterano
, as in his Ode to Philip III. His intention to introduce quantitative meter only appears in his introduction to the "adónicos sáficos", since these lend themselves well to a hendecasyllabic form:
He also, fortunately, tried to adapt Spanish poetry to the Anacreontic style; he was imitated during the 18th century in this lyric subgenre, specially cultivated in Villegas' style, particularly by Juan Meléndez Valdés
and José Iglesias de la Casa
. Also his gracefully rhythmic pastoral "Cantilenas" was much imitated. At an advanced age, he translated Boethius' "De consolatione Philosophiae" and, wiser after his encounter with the Inquisition, left in Latin the part corresponding to free will
. He wrote in addition two volumes to "Disertaciones" in which he commented on the classics which had been lost. This work was lost into the hands of Father Martín Sarmiento
shortly thereafter. In addition he composed "Discurso contra las comedias" and "Antiteatro", which were never published.
Matute
Matute is a village in the province and autonomous community of La Rioja, Spain....
, La Rioja
La Rioja (Spain)
La Rioja is an autonomous community and a province of northern Spain. Its capital is Logroño. Other cities and towns in the province include Calahorra, Arnedo, Alfaro, Haro, Santo Domingo de la Calzada, and Nájera.-History:...
, 5 February 1589; † Nájera
Nájera
Nájera is a small town located in the "Rioja Alta" region of La Rioja, Spain on the river Najerilla. Nájera is a stopping point on the Way of St James.-History:...
, La Rioja
La Rioja (Spain)
La Rioja is an autonomous community and a province of northern Spain. Its capital is Logroño. Other cities and towns in the province include Calahorra, Arnedo, Alfaro, Haro, Santo Domingo de la Calzada, and Nájera.-History:...
, 3 September 1669) was a 17th century Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
.
Biography
Villegas studied in MadridMadrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
and enrolled at the University of Salamanca
University of Salamanca
The University of Salamanca is a Spanish higher education institution, located in the town of Salamanca, west of Madrid. It was founded in 1134 and given the Royal charter of foundation by King Alfonso IX in 1218. It is the oldest founded university in Spain and the third oldest European...
on 20 November 1610. He was the royal treasurer in Nájera, but did not obtain any of the positions he wanted. Despite coming from a wealthy family, he spent his entire life in financial difficulties due to his numerous children and his continuous involvement in litigation. At the age of 36, he married Doña Antonia de Leyva Villodas, twenty years younger than he. In 1659 he was tried by the Inquisition
Spanish Inquisition
The Tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition , commonly known as the Spanish Inquisition , was a tribunal established in 1480 by Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile. It was intended to maintain Catholic orthodoxy in their kingdoms, and to replace the Medieval...
which accused him of believing himself in possession of the absolute truth. The defendant was jailed when he said, of his own free will
Free will
"To make my own decisions whether I am successful or not due to uncontrollable forces" -Troy MorrisonA pragmatic definition of free willFree will is the ability of agents to make choices free from certain kinds of constraints. The existence of free will and its exact nature and definition have long...
that he knew more of thorny questions than the Church Fathers
Church Fathers
The Church Fathers, Early Church Fathers, Christian Fathers, or Fathers of the Church were early and influential theologians, eminent Christian teachers and great bishops. Their scholarly works were used as a precedent for centuries to come...
, and wrote satires against religious communities. Many of these writings are lost, as they were confiscated by the Inquisition. The Inquisition condemned him to four years of exile in Santa María de Ribarredonda, but he was pardoned after a year, and died at the age of 84 in Nájera.
Works
Villegas wrote a lyrical book that was very original for its time, "Las Eróticas" (Nájera, 1618, later widely reprinted, especially by Sancha in Madrid, 1774 and 1797), the cover of which bore under a rising sun the motto "Me surgente, quid istae?". This book earned him more than a few enemies because of his excessive pride, and he tried to suppress the emblem of the copies that he could; Lope de la Vega referred to this in his Laurels for Apollo, but did not mention Villegas by name.The book is divided into two parts; the first is written in heptasyllables, imitation of anacreon
Anacreon
Anacreon was a Greek lyric poet, notable for his drinking songs and hymns. Later Greeks included him in the canonical list of nine lyric poets.- Life :...
tic style and matter; the second is in endecasyllables, being historical in content. It contained very delicate poems in short meters, which he managed with special skill. This book of poems contains very free translations of Horace
Horace
Quintus Horatius Flaccus , known in the English-speaking world as Horace, was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus.-Life:...
, elegies
Elegy
In literature, an elegy is a mournful, melancholic or plaintive poem, especially a funeral song or a lament for the dead.-History:The Greek term elegeia originally referred to any verse written in elegiac couplets and covering a wide range of subject matter, including epitaphs for tombs...
, idyll
Idyll
An idyll or idyl is a short poem, descriptive of rustic life, written in the style of Theocritus' short pastoral poems, the Idylls....
s, epigram
Epigram
An epigram is a brief, interesting, usually memorable and sometimes surprising statement. Derived from the epigramma "inscription" from ἐπιγράφειν epigraphein "to write on inscribe", this literary device has been employed for over two millennia....
s and some sonnet
Sonnet
A sonnet is one of several forms of poetry that originate in Europe, mainly Provence and Italy. A sonnet commonly has 14 lines. The term "sonnet" derives from the Occitan word sonet and the Italian word sonetto, both meaning "little song" or "little sound"...
s. It handles the syllables quantitatively and it uses Sapphic
Sapphic stanza
The Sapphic stanza, named after Sappho, is an Aeolic verse form spanning four lines ....
, Adonic, and anacreontic
Anacreontics
Anacreontics are verses in a meter used by the Greek poet Anacreon in his poems dealing with love and wine. His later Greek imitators took up the same themes and used the Anacreontic meter...
meters rather than the forms then current in Spanish literature. This is why his poetry is purely formal, strictly following form and with many circumlocutions. For this reason he set a strong precedent for Neoclassicism
Neoclassicism
Neoclassicism is the name given to Western movements in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that draw inspiration from the "classical" art and culture of Ancient Greece or Ancient Rome...
in the 18th century. His longer works have a strong flavour of culterano
Culteranismo
Culteranismo is a stylistic movement of the Baroque period of Spanish history that is also commonly referred to as Góngorismo...
, as in his Ode to Philip III. His intention to introduce quantitative meter only appears in his introduction to the "adónicos sáficos", since these lend themselves well to a hendecasyllabic form:
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Dulce vecino de la verde selva,
- huésped eterno del abril florido,
- vital aliento de la madre Venus,
-
- céfiro blando.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
He also, fortunately, tried to adapt Spanish poetry to the Anacreontic style; he was imitated during the 18th century in this lyric subgenre, specially cultivated in Villegas' style, particularly by Juan Meléndez Valdés
Juan Meléndez Valdés
Juan Meléndez Valdés was a Spanish neoclassical poet.-Biography:He was born at Ribera del Fresno, in what is now the province of Badajoz. Destined by his parents for the priesthood, he graduated in law at Salamanca, where he became indoctrinated with the ideas of the French philosophical school...
and José Iglesias de la Casa
José Iglesias de la Casa
José Iglesias de la Casa was a Spanish priest and poet. He pursued his studies at the University of Salamanca, and in 1783 took Holy orders at Madrid. During his lifetime he published two minor poems, "La niñez Laureada" , and "La Teclogia"...
. Also his gracefully rhythmic pastoral "Cantilenas" was much imitated. At an advanced age, he translated Boethius' "De consolatione Philosophiae" and, wiser after his encounter with the Inquisition, left in Latin the part corresponding to free will
Free will
"To make my own decisions whether I am successful or not due to uncontrollable forces" -Troy MorrisonA pragmatic definition of free willFree will is the ability of agents to make choices free from certain kinds of constraints. The existence of free will and its exact nature and definition have long...
. He wrote in addition two volumes to "Disertaciones" in which he commented on the classics which had been lost. This work was lost into the hands of Father Martín Sarmiento
Martín Sarmiento
Martín Sarmiento or Martiño Sarmiento, also Father Sarmiento , was a Spanish scholar, writer and Benedictine monk, illustrious representative of the Enlightenment in Spain.He wrote on a wide variety of subjects, including Literature, Medicine, Botany,...
shortly thereafter. In addition he composed "Discurso contra las comedias" and "Antiteatro", which were never published.