Marcelino Menéndez y Pelayo | |
|---|---|
 Photograph byKaulak | |
| Born | (1856-11-03)3 November 1856 Santander, Spain |
| Died | 12 May 1912(1912-05-12) (aged 55) Santander, Spain |
| Occupation(s) | Philologist,literary critic,historian,philosopher,poet,politician |
| Seatl of theReal Academia Española | |
| In office 6 May 1881 – 12 May 1912 | |
| Preceded by | Juan Eugenio Hartzenbusch |
| Succeeded by | Jacinto Benavente[a] |
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Marcelino Menéndez y Pelayo (Spanish pronunciation:[maɾθeˈlinomeˈnendeθipeˈlaʝo]; 3 November 1856 – 19 May 1912)[1] was a Spanish scholar, historian and literarycritic. Even though his main interest was thehistory of ideas, and Hispanicphilology in general, he also cultivatedpoetry,translation andphilosophy. He was nominated for theNobel Prize in Literature five times.[2]
He was born atSantander.[3] His brother said in his memoirs that at the age of twelve he translatedVirgil without a dictionary and read theHistory of England byOliver Goldsmith.[4] At only 15, he studied literature underManuel Milà i Fontanals at theUniversity of Barcelona (1871–1872), then proceeded to the centralUniversity of Madrid. His academic success was unprecedented; a special law was passed by theCortes to enable him to become a professor at 22. Three years later, in 1880, he was elected a member of theReal Academia Española, but he was already well known throughout Spain.[5]
His first volume,Estudios críticos sobre escritores montañeses (1876), had attracted little notice at first. He then produced his scholarly investigationHoracio en España (1877), an analysis ofHorace's translations in Spanish literature, with a prologue by the prominent criticJuan Valera. He became famous through hisCiencia española (1878), a collection of essays vindicating the existence of a scientific tradition inSpain. The orthodoxy of this work is even more noticeable in theHistoria de los heterodoxos españoles (1880–1886), and the writer was hailed as the champion of theUltramontane party.[5] As theCatholic Encyclopedia (1908–10) described his work, "Every page of his writings reveals a wealth of strong common sense, clear perception, and a vein of wonderful and ever varying erudition. ThoroughlyCatholic in spirit, he found his greatest delight, he declared, in devoting all his work to the glory of God and the exaltation of the name of Jesus".[6]
His lectures (1881) onCalderón established his reputation as a literary critic. His work as an historian ofSpanish literature was continued in hisHistoria de las ideas estéticas en España ("History of aesthetic ideas in Spain") (1883-1891), which are five volumes in which he explores, summarizes and reinterprets the existing bibliography on literary and artistic aesthetics at different times of the Spanish cultural tradition.
He undertook the publication of the works ofLope de Vega (1890-1902) in 13 volumes. Another tremendous work was his Anthology of Castilian Lyric Poets (1890-1908), again 13 volumes devoted to medieval poetry (except the last one, dedicated toJuan Boscán Almogáver). He also devoted much time to hisOrígenes de la novela ("The origins of the novel"), three volumes published in 1905, 1907 and 1910, with a fourth posthumous volume where he examined the imitations thatLa Celestina gave rise to in the 16th century. Simultaneously, he published the Anthology of Hispano-American Poets (1893-1895), 4 volumes that are actually a History of Hispano-American poetry as he titled it when reissuing it in 1911. Although some of his judgments, mainly those related to the defense of Spanish tradition, are no longer accepted,[citation needed] his studies of Spanish literature (Medieval,Renaissance, andGolden Age) are still valuable.[who?]
He died at Santander. He is buried inSantander Cathedral, where his monument may still be seen.
Among his many disciples can be mentioned:Ludwig Pfandl, German Hispanist and biographer of many important Spanish historical figures;Ramón Menéndez Pidal, founder of Hispanic philology as a scientific discipline; Adolfo Bonilla y San Martín, editor of theObras completas ofMiguel de Cervantes, among other works; and José María Sánchez Muniaín, chair of Aesthetics at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, who compiled theAntología general de Menéndez Pelayo.
La ciencia española (1876) is a claim of the existence of a scientific tradition in Spain.Horacio en España (1877) is an analysis of the translations ofHorace in Spanish literature, according to Horace's classical dispositions. His workHistoria de los heterodoxos españoles (1880–1882) is particularly famous and valued today especially where the Christian traditions of Spain are studied. From the Middle Ages to the ending of the 19th century, he breaks down the work of all the thinkers and writers persecuted by the Spanish Catholic traditions, taking the perspective of Catholicism. In his second edition he corrected some of his perspectives, but not, for example, his jests and ironies against theKrausists and theHegelianists, especiallyEmilio Castelar.Historia de las ideas estéticas en España (1883–1891) is five volumes long and very up to date. They explore, summarize, and reinterpret the existing bibliography about literary esthetics and artistics in distinct eras of the Spanish cultural tradition.[7]
Menéndez Pelayo took on three large works that would keep him occupied almost until the time of his death. One is the publication ofObras de Lope de Vega (1890–1902), written in 13 volumes; the second is theAntología de poetas líricos castellanos (1890–1908), another 13 volumes dedicated to medieval poetry, except for the last, dedicated toJuan Boscán. As well, despite its title, it includes epic poetry along with didactic poetry, changingAntología instead toHistoria de la poesía castellana en la Edad Media, the title of the reprint in 1911. The third work is his study ofOrígenes de la novela, three volumes published in 1905, 1907, and 1910, with a fourth, posthumous, volume in which he analyzes the imitations that gave place in the 16th century forLa Celestina. He published simultaneously a four volume work calledAntología de poetas hispano-americanos (1893–1895), which in reality isHistoria de la poesía hispanoamerica, as it was titled in the 1911 reedit. He corrected in this edition his appreciations of Peru, after having contact with Marqués de Montealegre de Aulestia. The 1911 edition is a general study of all Hispanic-American poetry which served to flatter the ex-colonies with the old and decadent peninsula. He reprinted his workEstudios de crítica literaria (1892–1908) in five volumes and someEnsayos de crítica filosófica (1892), in parallel form to each other, which were done in his namesake as the director of the National Library of Madrid.[8]
Attribution:
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Menéndez y Pelayo, Marcelino".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 18 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 128.
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