THE GOLDEN AGE IN PASTORAL POEMS THROUGH THE IBERIAN PENINSULA AND ENGLAND

In moments of great societal change the pastoral poem motif always seems to reemerge. Although the pastoral poem's intrinsic formulation—a latent yearning for a lost time and space—has stayed constant, the minuscule shifts in what constitutes this idyllic respite reveal a great deal about the era it was written. The notion of a Golden Age illustrates society's ideals and as such juxtaposes the banality of quotidian life with highly idealized aesthetical aspirations that the poet is attempting to escape through pastoral poetry. By focusing on different literary movements with particular emphasis on the Spanish Siglo de Oro and the British Romantic period I aim to demonstrate how the contemporary issues—i.e. political unrest and the burgeoning industrial revolution—shape different variations of pastoral poems that constitute the distinctive yet elusive national Golden Age.