El estilo «afetuoso» en las Anotaciones de Herrera

Abstract

This paper deals with the description of what Fernando de Herrera calls «estilo afetuoso» (emotive style) in his Anotaciones on Garcilaso's poetry. In the first place, I review the theory of «emotions» through the Classical Rhetoric, focusing specially on the Hermogenean tradition, which is Herrera's main source. The identification of the «estilo afetuoso» as the strongest force in the oratory, in so far as it is viewed as movere, leaves Herrera unable to define this style, as he does with the rest of the styles. This style then is the ideal of the lyrical poetry and that is the reason why it escapes definitions and remains as a valuative term.