Gaspar Gil Polo facts for kids
Gaspar Gil Polo was a Spanish writer who lived a long time ago. He was a talented novelist and poet. Gaspar Gil Polo was born in Valencia, Spain, around the year 1540. He passed away in 1591.
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Who Was Gaspar Gil Polo?
It can be a bit confusing because there were a few people named Gil Polo. Gaspar Gil Polo is sometimes mixed up with a professor of Greek at Valencia University. That professor was not named Gaspar. He is also sometimes confused with his own son, who was also named Gaspar Gil Polo. His son wrote books about law and was active until at least 1626. Our Gaspar Gil Polo was the famous writer.
His Life and Work
Gaspar Gil Polo worked as a notary, which is like a legal official. He was part of a special group that handled money matters in Valencia in 1571. Later, he became an assistant to the main accountant in 1572. In 1580, he went on an important trip to Barcelona. He died there in 1591.
Even though he was known as a good poet, only a few of his poems are still around today. These include two sonnets and a song.
La Diana Enamorada
Gaspar Gil Polo is most famous for his book called La Diana enamorada. This book was a continuation of another popular story, Montemayor's Diana. Many people think La Diana enamorada is one of the best continuations ever written by another author.
The famous writer Cervantes (who wrote Don Quixote) really liked La Diana enamorada. He even joked that it should be protected as if it were written by the god Apollo himself! This shows how much people admired the book.
Why Was It So Popular?
La Diana enamorada is considered one of the most enjoyable Spanish pastoral novels. Pastoral novels are stories about shepherds and country life, often with themes of love and nature.
Here's why people loved it:
- It had interesting events and adventures.
- It was written in smooth, easy-to-read prose.
- It included beautiful and musical poems.
Because it was so popular, the book was printed many times. Cervantes himself was inspired by it in his own work, Canto de Caliope. La Diana enamorada was also translated into many languages, including English, French, German, and Latin.
English and Latin Versions
An English version of the book was published in 1598 by Bartholomew Young. This translation included both Montemayor's original story and Gil Polo's continuation. It's believed that Young's translation might have inspired a part of William Shakespeare's play, The Two Gentlemen of Verona.
A Latin version, called Erotodidascalus, was created by Kaspar von Barth in 1625. This version was very well done and is quite unique.
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