La Fábula de Polifemo y Galatea facts for kids

La Fábula de Polifemo y Galatea (which means The Fable of Polyphemus and Galatea), often called simply the Polifemo, is a famous poem by the Spanish writer Luis de Góngora y Argote. This poem tells an old Greek myth in a new and exciting way. It takes ideas from ancient stories by Greek and Roman writers, especially Ovid.

Góngora didn't just copy the old stories. He changed how the myth was told, making it his own. He used very new and clever ways of writing poetry. This helped him explore the love story of Acis and Galatea and the strong jealousy of the giant Cyclops named Polyphemus.

The Polifemo was finished in 1613. It was published in 1627, after Góngora had passed away. Many people think this poem is one of Góngora's best works, along with his other famous poem, the Soledades. The Polifemo shows the final stage of Góngora's special writing style. This style, called culteranismo, was very detailed, smart, and full of vivid descriptions.

Góngora dedicated the Polifemo to the Count of Niebla. This nobleman was known for supporting artists in 17th-century Spain. The poem's main ideas, like jealousy and competition, show how poets like Góngora worked hard to create amazing art during that time. Góngora wrote his Polifemo to honor a similar poem by his friend, Luis Carillo y Sotomayor. Carrillo's poem was also about Acis and Galatea and was dedicated to the same Count of Niebla.

What is Culteranismo?

Góngora's poem is special because of its length, its rich style, and its ingenio. Ingenio means artistic cleverness or new ideas. The Polifemo doesn't follow the old rules for clear writing set by Aristotle.

Some writers, like Luis Carrillo y Sotomayor, thought these old rules made it hard for poets to be creative. Carrillo believed that poetry didn't always need to be simple for everyone to understand. This style, culteranismo, was often seen as fancy and for a more educated audience.

Critics like Juan Martínez de Jáuregui y Aguilar and Francisco de Quevedo thought culteranist poets were too fancy and tried to hide weak writing with complicated words. But Góngora was still a very important poet of the Spanish Baroque period. He even influenced some of his critics!

The clever ways Góngora used metaphors in Polifemo later inspired poets like Paul Verlaine in France. It also influenced modern Spanish poets such as Federico García Lorca and the Generation of '27. Culteranismo was a big part of Spanish Baroque Poetry, along with another style called conceptismo. It focused on new ideas (ingenio) instead of just copying old works (imitatio).

The Story of Polyphemus and Galatea

The characters in the Polifemo come from very old myths. You can find them in ancient Greek stories like book 9 of the Odyssey. But the full story of Acis and Galatea's love, Polyphemus's sadness, and Acis's death was told later in Ovid’s Metamorphoses.

However, Ovid wasn't the first to write about these characters. Theocritus, who created the bucolic (or pastoral) style of poetry, wrote a funny poem about Polyphemus and his one-sided love for the Sea-nymph Galatea. The pastoral style is about peaceful country life. Other famous writers, like Virgil and later Petrarch and Garcilaso de la Vega, copied this style.

In the poems by Theocritus, Ovid, and Góngora, Polyphemus sings to Galatea. His songs are both proud and sad. Here are some things the poems have in common:

• Polyphemus compares Galatea's beauty to things in nature. He complains that she doesn't love him.
• All three poems describe Polyphemus's not-so-handsome looks. Góngora's poem is more subtle and less funny than Ovid's.
• Polyphemus lists his wealth and how many animals he owns.
• Polyphemus asks Galatea to be with him.

Theocritus's version ends with the young Cyclops scolding himself. It's a light and funny poem, and Polyphemus still hopes for another love.

Góngora was mostly inspired by Ovid's story. Ovid's Metamorphoses is about constant change and transformation. Góngora's poem also includes Acis's death and his transformation. But Góngora didn't just copy Ovid. He wanted to explore the myth in his own unique way. He used his clever writing and special artistic feelings, which were not as developed in Ovid's poem.

How Góngora Changed the Story

Góngora made many changes to the myth he got from Ovid. Some changes were just for decoration, while others were very important to his poem.

For example, Góngora added beautiful descriptions that weren't in the original. Look at this example:

Góngora also added details when Polyphemus talks about his wealth:

Góngora also included small stories, like the one about shipwrecked merchants, that weren't directly part of the main myth.

Góngora's style was very focused on what things felt like to the senses. He wanted readers to imagine and feel the story, rather than just understand it directly. This means readers had to work a bit to figure out the meaning. Because of his focus on sensory details, critics have called Góngora's style "impressionistic."

Other Story Differences

Polyphemus's words to Galatea in Góngora's poem are very elegant. This is different from the funny and rough way he's shown in older stories. Góngora also left out parts where Polyphemus combs his hair or other funny details about his looks. These parts were in Ovid's poem for humor, but Góngora wanted a more serious tone.

Another big difference is how the lovers are found. In Ovid's story, Polyphemus just stumbles upon them while walking. But in Góngora's poem, Polyphemus's song is suddenly stopped when he discovers them. This interruption makes the story move faster towards its sad ending. It creates a special feeling that wasn't in the Roman poem.

See also

In Spanish: Fábula de Polifemo y Galatea para niños

• 1613 in poetry