Juan Boscan He was one of the most important figures in Spanish Renaissance poetry. This Catalan poet and translator wrote the first poem of the Spanish Golden Age that dealt with the theme of mythology. In addition, Boscán was the first bard in the country to compose verses in the manner of the Italian lyrical Petrarca..
His successors in the 16th century included some of the most brilliant and inspired lyrical minds in Spain. His art appears in Spain after a period of stagnation of Fine Letters. During most of that period, the increasing pomp and formality of the court made the poetry artificial and insincere as well..
After several generations of young Spaniards educated in Italian universities, a process of cultural refinement began. Juan Boscán received that influence and projected it in his work. From the beginning of his literary life, Boscán was inspired by the Catalan poet, Auzasa Mark.
He also had a lot of support from his disciples: Diego Hurtado de Mendoza and Garcilaso de la Vega. By introducing the hendecasyllable verse (clearly Italian structure), Juan Boscán enriched Spanish poetry with his compositions, thus obtaining the wealth of Italian literary themes incorporated into poetry..
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The date of birth of this illustrious Catalan is not exactly known. However, all literary specialists agree that it was sometime in the late 15th century, between 1487 and 1492.
Born in Barcelona into a noble family, he was one of the three children of Joan Valentí Boscán, a public official; and Violant Almogáver. The names of the other two sisters were Violante and Leonor.
Not much information is available about the early days of Boscán's life. It is known that he orphaned his father in 1492. Furthermore, it is known that in 1507 he was sent by his family to the court of King Ferdinand II the Catholic to complete his education..
On the death of the king, Juan Boscán came to be in the service of the Duke of Alva, serving as guardian for his grandson. In 1522 he participated with the artist Garcilaso in the failed attempt to liberate the island of Rhodes from the power of the Turks..
Then, in 1526, he traveled to Granada to attend the wedding of Carlos V with Isabel de Portugal. This trip defined his future as a poet. There he met Andrea Navagero, ambassador of Venice, who in a conversation with Boscán encouraged him to use the Italian metric in his works..
On his return he continued serving Carlos V; he was a poet of the imperial court. He kept working on his poetic work making adaptations of the Italian style. During this time he had a lot of contact with Garcilaso de la Vega.
On August 7, 1539, he married Dona Ana Girón. From this marriage union he had three daughters: Beatriz, Mariana and Violante.
After his marriage, the poet Juan Boscán spent the rest of his life retired from political life, although he made sporadic appearances at court..
At times he supervised the education of the young Duke of Alva. Boscán's death took place in Barcelona around the year 1542.
The most important merit of Boscán was in the renewal of the Spanish meter of poetry. His revolution also reached the stanza; in this field he dedicated himself to the creation of royal octaves, sonnets and triplets.
Similarly, prose felt the effects of its reform. In this he also adopted themes from Italian literature, which remained in the Spanish kingdom until the arrival of Romanticism..
His most famous works were published after his death by his widow Ana Girón de Rebolledo around 1543. They appeared published under the title of The works of Boscán and some of Garcilaso de la Vega.
Two transcendental poems appear in the work. One of these is titled "Hero and Leandro", considered the first Spanish mythological poem. In this a tragic love story is told.
On the other hand, his other outstanding poem is the one entitled "Octava rima". In this lyrical work, the stanza known as the real octave was introduced in Spain..
From his collection of poems and sonnets can be mentioned To sadness, The nightingale that loses its young, What will I do and why do you want to (Song V).
Similarly, this collection includes the titles: Sonnets, Love is good in itself naturally Y Loaded I go with me wherever I go.
They were also very well received. Like the sad one who is judged to death, Like one who receives pleasure in dreaming, Sweet dreaming and sweet grief Y Great time I was from evils so damaged.
He brilliantly closes his collection of poems with It's been so long since my misery lasts, I was never so happy with love, Who says that absence causes forgetfulness, If the heart of a true lover Y I am like the one who lives in the desert.
Although he always showed extreme sensitivity when composing, the death of his close friend unleashed much more intense feelings in him..
These are reflected in the work that he titled Garcilaso, that you always aspired to good or sonnet CXXIX, written in his honor:
"Garcilaso, you always aspired to good
and always with such force you followed him,
that a few steps after him you ran,
in everything you entirely reached him,
tell me: why didn't you take me after you
when you left this deadly land?,
Why, when you climbed to the top, did you climb,
here in this lowliness you left me?
Well I think that, if you could have
to move something what is ordered,
in that case you will not forget me:
that you would like to honor me with your side
or at least you would say goodbye to me;
or, if not, then you will return for me ".
In the genre of translations Juan Boscán also had an outstanding performance. His work is remembered The courtier of Baltasar Castiglione. He also stood out in the epistolary genre with his work Epistle to Don Diego Hurtado de Mendoza.
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