The Baroque period in Italy focused
a lot on the teachings of the Catholic Church.Through literature, the Italian people were able to function and were
able to look up to a higher figure. Writers constantly wrote about spiritual
healing and the need to stay holy and pure (316).The Baroque writers often “committed to
sensual experience” and expressed the faith that they had (321). This
experience was between the individual and the divine, but people looked up to
the individuals that had the pleasure of witnessing such greatness.
John Donne, a Baroque poet, was a
faithful Catholic man that “converted to the Anglican church” because of his
background and personal reasoning (321). Through his poems he explains the
magical and mystic nature of obtaining an understanding and appreciation for communion
and for the divine. Donne, as well as a few other Baroque figures, agreed that
experiencing a direct “institution or insight” is “the ultimate source of
knowledge” (321).
His poem “Batter my
Heart”, published in 1618, was a famous poem that explained the experience that
a man named Saul had. Saul was a “Roman legionnaire” who fell from his horse
and then converted to Catholicism.He
soon became St. Paul (321).John Donne
wrote many other sonnets in his collection of religious sonnets.
A holy
woman by the name of Teresa of Ávila was depicted in a book called “The Life of
Teresa of Ávila” where her story and interaction with the divine is explained.
The book tells of her different experience with her faith.This book was written before 1567, and was
known to be the inspiration for many other works of art.One Chapter called “Visions” was a one of he
most popular because it displayed a sense of sexuality. Sexual notions were not
usually accepted in Catholic religious art, but chapter 29 of “The Life of
Teresa of Ávila” showed the connection with “the physical and the spiritual”
(318).
With strong
inspiration and dedication, Ignatius of Loyola, a Spanish nobleman, wrote a
book explaining his beliefs and religion. In his book Spiritual Exercises, Loyola helps Catholic followers to understand
what Hell really is and to know what they are up against once choosing to go
against the divine (316). He uses the senses to appeal to the reader. Just like
with the Teresa of Ávila, Ignatius of Loyola uses both physical and spiritual
attraction to help the reader obtain a better grasp of Catholicism.Loyola
wanted the book to be emotional and to have a connection toward “piety”. Since
the book was made in 1548, it encompassed what the Baroque Italy was going
through. This piece of literature was also depicted in the Art of Andrea
Pozzo’s painting of St. Ignatius of Loyola in 1691-94. It was a beautiful work
of art on a high ceiling. Because Loyola lead ‘the Counter-Reformation in the
seventh century” he became a very important religious figure in the Baroque era
in Italy.
All of the literary individuals in
the Baroque time believed in the “moment of conversion” and believed that there
is a struggle to stay faithful. In order to stay faithful one must surround
himself with others that believe the same, or a person will have an extreme
experience (321).Donne, Teresa of
Ávila, and Loyola, strived to spread the experiences that they faced of the
experiences of others. They did not want there writing to be seen as fictional
or hopeful but rather “naturalistic” or realistic (321). These writers encompassed the literary movement in Baroque Italy.
