JACINT VERDAGUER, THE

POET OF THE "RENAIXENCA"4

JACINT VERDAGUERIS 1~TH CENTURY CATALAN LITERATURE'S CENTRAL FIGURE, THE MOST IMPORTANT OF THE RENAIXENCAWRITERS AND THE POET WHO GAVE THE CATALANLANGUAGE THE DRIVE IT NEEDED TO RISE FROM THE ASHES AND RETURN TO ITS ANCIENT SPLENDOUR. acint Verdaguer (1 845- 1902) is played by Verdaguer at a moment of cause of al1 this, Verdaguer is often 19th century Catalan literature's threefold irnportance. Firstly, we have spoken of with some mistrust, with central figure, the most impor- Verdaguer as the father of modern lit- doubts and misgivings, or else he is the Renaixenga writers and the erary Catalan. Secondly, as the poet of a raised to the condition of indisputable poet who gave the Catalan language the renascent culture in the context of spe- classic, while the real scope and dimen- drive it needed to rise from the ashes and cific historical circumstances: at the sion of his work remains unknown. retum to its ancient splendour. The term centre of a literature which was roused Renaixenga is applied to the years of and brought back to life by Romant- cultural and political reviva1 in Catalo- icism, which grew up in the shadow of In the shadow of the "Jocs Florals" nia dunng the 19th century, approxi- the "Jocs Florals", and which reached and a renascent church mately between 1833 and 1885. It is maturity as a modern language in the Verdaguer was born in 1845 in Folgue- therefore not surprising that Verdaguer last decades of the 19th century. The roles, Osona, into a simple but well- should often have been thought of as "Jocs Florals" were a traditional Pro- educated farming family. He studied at the personification of the essential hero vencal literary festival established in the seminary in Vic from 1856 until of contemporary Catalan literature, or Barcelona in 1393. Their restoration in 1870, when he was ordained as a priest. that Joan Maragall, on the occasion of 1859 was one of the milestones of the At that time, Vic was the capital of a his death, should have attempted to literary Renaixen~a.Finally, Verdaguer conservative farming region, marked by sum up the wnter's genius with these has to be seen as a priest committed to the religious and cultural life of the se- words: "The Catalan poet came down the service of a Catalan church which minary which, at the end of the century, from the mountain and our language was also being reborn. became the most active focus of conser- became alive and whole again, at once But for a complete picture of the poet's vative Catalanism. popular and learned. He came just at singular character and personality, we In 1859, the town of Vic was looking the moment he had to come, because have to remember the difficulties of a forward to the restoration of the "Jocs like al1 heroes, it was he who created the troubled biography, one which is red- Florals", and heard Víctor Balaguer's moment and this is his glory. That was hot to the touch. Even today, a hundred invitation to the youth of Catalonia, the hero in him: to have created a rea- years after what is known as the tragedy calling for a poet who would provide lity; that was the poet in him: to have of Reverend Cinto, there are still a lot the young language and literature with spoken out for al1 the people of his of questions unanswered about the last consistency and with a future: "Perhaps country". years of his life, between 1893 and 1902 amongst you is hidden the Virgil of to- Although the events of the poet's life- -the exorcisms, the Duran family, his morrow", he said in his speech. Verda- time are of great interest, 1 think a brief departure from the home of the Mar- guer was then a seminarist who was be- introduction such as this should con- ques de Comillas, his confinement in la ginning to struggle with the muses, with centrate on the most important charac- Gleva, his defiance of Bishop Morga- words and poetry. And it was, precisely, teristics of his work and outline the part des, and his suspension a divinis. Be- in the shadow of the "Jocs Florals" that LITERATURE

he grew up and developed as a poet. We can only be understood in the context sion to this patriotic providentialism need only remember that at the peak of of a church which became the mouth- (perfectly at one with the "La Veu del all this process, in 1877, when L'Atlan-. piece of conservative Catalanism and Montserrat" group), he also played an tida was published, the work was not which had defined the nation as the active part in the support and promo- only received with massive enthusiasm possession of the land by divine right. tion of the Catalan church of the second inside Catalonia, it was also an unpre- With this outlook, halfway between his- half of the 19th century. He merged the cedented intemational success. L'Atlan- tory and legend, Canigó is a poem two roles of poet and priest -the harp tida was translated into Castilian, which sings the origins of the nation, and the chalice- and devoted himself to French, English, Italian, German, with the notion that Catalonia is bom composing mystic poetry, goigs, hymns Czech, Swedish, Portuguese, Occitai- when it becomes Christian: and poems of a hagiographic nature. nian, Latin and Esperanto. Merck Ro- Tools for the encouragement of piety ...since God drives you, oh Catalonia! and religious practices. Works such as doreda's La Placa del Diamant (The -forward. Idil-lis i Cants mistics (1 879), Caritat Time of the Doves) is probably the only Forward: o'er mountains, land and (1884), Veus del Bon Pastor (1 894), Ro- other work in the whole of Catalan lit- oceans, cease not, ser de tot l'any (1894), Sant Francesc erary history to have had such sucess your Pyrenean throne grows small, abroad. (1895) and Flors del Calvari (1 896) are to become great today you woke examples of the work which made Ver- But although the "Jocs Florals" were in the shadow of the Cross. essential as the framework for the daguer a poet in the service of the young poet's development, another Certainly, Canigb is the culmination of church and the person responsible for point of vital importance was that Ver- Verdaguer's patriotic providentialism, renewing religious song in Catalonia. daguer served as a priest in a church but it has to be taken as the last step in Sometime around 1890, unable perhaps which, following the Bourbon Restora- an evolutionary process which started to keep abreast of the developments tion, was recovering from the crisis of very early with patriotic poems of taking place in society, the priest and the first half of the century. Also, in exalted romanticism. Later on, the poet suffered a penod of personal crisis, Catalonia, this religious revival was an poet's initial vehemence felt the seduc- of interior anxiety and of dissatisfaction emphatic reaffirmation of its specific- tion of the legendary side of history, with himself. He tumed to the exercise ally Catalan nature. This led to the and was strengthened, especially, by the of charity beyond al1 caution and to appearance of a religious regionalism conviction that: "who casts down or spiritual practices of which the church exemplified by Jaume Collell, Torres i raises nations, is God who has created authorities disapproved. Things finally Bages and the "Veu de Montserrat", the them". It is therefore a lengthy process came to a head with an extremely vio- group closest to Verdaguer. For this which the reader can follow in the lent discussion (the so-called "Verda- reason, the other great poem, Canigó poems collected in Montserrat (1880) guer tragedy") which convulsed the Ca- (1885), w4ich is more coherent and and Patria (1 888). talan society of the end of the century. more representative than LAtlirntida. But while Verdaguer gave poetic expres- But that's another story. ¤