Renaissance Pastoralisms

Major works of Iberian pastoral lyric poetry and narrative fiction. What made this classical mode so popular during the Renaissance and beyond? What are its essential characteristics? What does it tell us about early modern theories of humanity's relation to nature? Was it merely a form of erotic escapism or is something darker and more troubling lurking between its lines? What can it teach us today about nature, eros, ethics, death, and love? Authors include: Theocritus; Virgil; Sannazaro; Garcilaso de la Vega; Montemayor; Ribeiro; Usque; Camões; and Cervantes. We'll also look at selected contemporary examples of the pastoral in film and the novel. Readings in English, Portuguese, and Spanish. Discussion in English.