Abstract

The aim of this paper is to analyze the burlesque style in Martin del Barco Centenera’s epic poem Argentina y conquista del Río de la Plata. In the first place, the notion of «discoursive traditions» is treated to give a wide framing to the text. Then, the concept of heteroglossia is analyzed and commented its use in the poem, regarding the use of anecdotes and three burlesque resources: irony, satire and grotesque. All these features enjoy the poem´s didactic style and intention of the work, becoming a text wich is new somehow to this tradition.

Abstract

Pirate representation is studied in a series of Epic poems in the late sixteenth century and early seventeenth century. The ambiguous image of the English enemy is read in texts by Juan de Miramontes, Pedro de Oña, Martín del Barco Centenera and Juan de Castellanos, among others. On the one hand, Colonial Epic ignores some important differences between privateers and pirates since the privateering had been legally accepted by all European nations, including Spain. Besides, Pirate is always called «Lutheran» and revealing its absolute otherness with respect to the Catholic model. On the other hand, it proposes a laudatory epics enemy painting from the imitation of the values accepted by the colonial society. The relationship between the Spanish hero and the privateer is represented not in a vertical direction, as could happen between colonizer and colonized subject, but on a level of rivalry.