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Chapter 1 - The Practice of Epic and Lyric Writing in Colonial Mexico

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 March 2024

By
Jorge Téllez
Edited by
José Ramón Ruisánchez Serra ,
Anna M. Nogar  and
Ignacio M. Sánchez Prado
José Ramón Ruisánchez Serra
Affiliation:
University of Houston
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Summary

Colonial-era Mexican poetry presents a complex interweaving of several genres; this chapter explores two of its major forms: epic poetry and lyric poetry. The epic, often understood as a propaganda instrument for colonial interests, is also constitutive of colonial historical narrative, as is illustrated by works by Bernardo de Balbuena, Antonio de Saavedra Guzmán, Gaspar Pérez de Villagrá, Arias de Villalobos and others examined in this chapter. Lyric poetry captured the creative virtuosity of colonial Mexico. While past critique has framed this opus in relation to European sources, more contemporary readings focus instead on its interplay with the literary, political, and societal elements of its environment. This chapter explores the scope of this genre and the challenge that sixteenth- and seventeenth-century writing practices pose to twenty-first-century readers.

Keywords

epiclyricpoetrywriting practicesliterary studies21st century
Type
Chapter
Information
A History of Mexican Poetry , pp. 16 - 35
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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References

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