Imperial Lyric

Imperial Lyric examines the intersection of poetry and ideology in early modern Spain. This work of literary criticism addresses the overlooked role of Spanish cultural production in the development of global modernity. By analyzing representative poems from eight Peninsular writers, the text explores how the lyric genre served as a primary site for negotiating masculine identity. It details the transition of Spanish noblemen from medieval heroic identities to the posture of state subjects.

The study highlights the significance of Peninsular letters in understanding the shifting ideologies of the self and the state. Focusing on the categories of poetry and Caribbean and Latin American studies, Imperial Lyric argues that a specific threshold of modernity emerged when lyric poetry gained prestige over the epic. This scholarly analysis provides a new perspective on the linguistic and cultural watersheds that shaped European and American modernity.