El concepto y canon de la sátira en la doxa del campo literario del siglo XVII

This paper examines the definition and use of the word «sátira» in Spain in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, starting with Sebastián de Covarrubias’s Tesoro de la lengua castellana. Covarrubias’s definition is contrasted with the information provided by ancient writers on Grammar and Rhetoric and by Renaissance scholars, lexicographers, and literary theorists. Next, it is shown how Covarrubias and other writers expand the domain of the genre so as to comprehend texts previously not included in it, such as Martial’s epigrams and Coplas de Mingo Revulgo. The case of Lucian of Samosata is also considered. As a conclusion, an assessment is proposed of the role played by the notion of satire in the early modern literary field and in current academic discourse.