Lope de Vega and the Epístolas of Amarilis and Belardo: Poetic Authority and Transatlantic Dialogue

An example of epistolary discourse in seventeenth-century Spain that merits further examination is the correspondence between Lope de Vega (writing under the assumed name of “Belardo”) and a presumed poet from Latin America known only as “Amarilis.” This study moves beyond the focus of most criticism, which attempts to arrive at an identity for this Amarilis. It proves how transatlantic epistolary dialogue can be egalitarian as much as esthetically meaningful, as both authors demonstrate poetic authority.