This course studies how the literature of sixteenth and seventeenth century Spain and Portugal engages with the sea. We will read travel and shipwreck narratives, short novels, lyric and epic poetry and see samples of visual culture in order to understand the artistic and historical importance of the sea at a time when both Iberian countries became global powers. We will address how travel narratives and prose fiction depict inhabitants from other continents, how poetry both celebrates and critiques navigation as a worthy endeavor, how maritime expeditions facilitate and problematize encounters with humans from different religions and social groups, and why exile and love poetry allude to sea-faring and swimming to express amorous feelings. Works by, among others, Cervantes, María de Zayas, or Luis de Camões, will therefore illustrate the long-term ethical, environmental, and artistic implications of traveling by sea as both a historical and cultural practice.

Units: 1

Max Enrollment: 10

Crosslisted Courses: PORT 306

Prerequisites: Open to students who have completed two courses beyond SPAN 241 or by permission of the instructor.

Distribution Requirements: LL - Language and Literature

Typical Periods Offered: Every other year; Every three years

Semesters Offered this Academic Year: Fall