Florencia del Pinar

Florencia Pinar is one of the few Castilian female writers of the 15th century. She is known mostly for her mastery of figurative language. Little is known about the exact date and location of her birth, but it is assumed that Pinar was an educated member of the upper class. This much can be deduced from the fact that she was one of the few female poets whose works were included in the 15th century Spanish poetic songbook known as "Cancionero general". She also composed her poems in the Castilian dialect which was characteristic of the educated upper class of her time. Only four of her works are known to have been published, two of which were later attributed to the “dama” (lady) or “Señora” Florencia Pinar. Both of these titles connote a certain elevated level of social status.

Works

Of the four works attributed to Pinar, "Canción de una dama que dice Florencia Pinar" (Song by a Dame Called Florencia Pinar), "Glosa de Florencia" (Florencia’s Gloss), "Cancion de Florencia Pinar" (Song of Florencia Pinar), "and Otra canción de la misma señora a unas perdices que le enviaron vivas" (Another Song of the Same Lady About Some Partridges Sent to Her Alive), the latter is the most well-known for its symbolism and hidden themes:

Destas aves su nación These birds were born Es contar con alegría, Singing for joy, Y de vellas en prisión Such softness imprisoned Siento yo grave pasión, Gives me such sorrow, Sin sentir nadie a mía. Yet no one weeps for me.

Ellas lloran que se vieron They cry that they flew Sin temor de ser cativas, Fearless of capture Y a quien eran más esquivas And those whom shunned Esos mismos las prendier Were those who seized them: Sus nombres mi vida son Their names write my life Que va perdiendo alegría, Which goes on, losing joy; Y de vellas en prisión Such softness imprisoned Siento yo grave pasión, Gives me much sorrow, Sin sentir nadie a mía. Yet no one weeps for me.

It is in this work that Pinar shows her ability to play with language and create conceits (conceptismo), by showing love’s dual role of providing both pleasure and pain. Also evident is her characteristic use of indirect sexual allusions. During this time period partridges served as an archetype of female promiscuity because female partridges are known to be easily impregnated birds. This playful use of symbolism is one of the distinguishing features of Pinar’s poetry. The prevailing theme of her poetry is love, but there is also much ambiguity in her tone. Throughout the centuries, scholars have often speculated about whether this love about which she so frequently writes is platonic or sexual in nature.

References:

*Kaplan, Gregory B. “Florencia del Pinar.” Castilian Writers, 1400-1500. "Dictionary of Literary Biography Vol. 286". Edited by Frank A. Domínguez and George Greenia. Detroit: Gale, 2004.
*Vollendorf, Lisa. "Recovering Spain's feminist tradition". New York: Modern Language Association of America, 2001.