Social Conformity Through Lope's Poems

As we move through Lope’s collection we see that the emphasis becomes more on poetry itself rather than his desires. While Lope claims in the Advertimiento al Señor Lector that Juana is the ‘sujeto de la mayor parte destos epigramas’ (RBT, p.112), as if to say that love and desire are the ultimate source of this work, at times, the poems are only closely related, if even, to these themes. For example, Sonnet 10 is introdcued as, ‘Describe un monte sin qué ni para qué’ (RBT, p.139). The opening quatrain sets the scene and the ‘locus amoenus depicted here is an erotic space, more dangerously evocative in its graphic downward movement from mountains to valley to meadow’ as the poet writes, ‘Caen de un monte a un valle entre pizarras..’ (l.1).

He can write a poem without any reference to an idealized woman. He claims an identity as an honest poet, parodying the hyperbolic language of his contemporaries with the direct and comic admittal that nothing really occurs in this sonnet. However, we see again that while Lope tests these limits he is not entirely free from them as while this sonnet is comical and there is no mention of a lady, he does employ the locus amoenus motif in this sonnet, a device used in many poetical works.

However, Lope is most successful in presenting himself as a new type of poet through the way in which he tries to deceive the reader with regards to the poet’s true identity. He states in the Advertimiento that these poems have been written by ‘el Licenciado Tomé de Burguillos’ (RBT, p.109) and a portrait of this character appears later on in the collection (RBT, p.119). However, the portrait uncannily resembles Lope and the reader can guess that Lope is behind this persona. This conflict of identities becomes very explicit in Sonnet 136 as the poem deals with Tomé’s desire for approval from Lope, a disapproving poetic authority. Tomé is very apologetic of his failure to imitate Lope’s style as he

(RBT, p.380, ll.12-14)

However, Lope is the true writer of this sonnet and here he is in full control of his identity as he sets himself up as a skilful and successful poet who more lowly writers unsuccessfully try and imitate. The rhyme ‘llama/fama’ here reinforces Lope’s primary concern of becoming a famous poet as it contrasts the lowly characterization of Tomé, jealous of Lope and his fame with Lope’s own characterization; a renowned poet.

In conclusion, love and desire are certainly a source of literary intrigue in these texts. In the plays it is a conflict between the two which creates this intrigue. In Caro’s work the conflict between Leonor’s love and Don Juan’s desire leads to Leonor’s deception and ultimately the testing of social boundaries with regards to cross-dressing and her role in society. For Don Diego in Moreto’s play, the conflict arises in his failure to love Inés because he is so wrapped up in a desire for himself. This narcissism is presented as a testing of social limits as Diego fails to live up to his socially-prescribed masculine role. However, while these limits are tested in the plays, they are never entirely surpassed as the comedy arises from the fact that the audience knows what is ‘natural’ and social order is restored at the end of the plays. For Lope, love and desire Juana appear to be a source of literary intrigue but they are never the ultimate source. Rather, love and desire serve as a pretext which allows