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Can you provide a summary of La Araucana?
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La Araucana, by Alonso de Ercilla y Zúñiga, is a 16th-century epic poem about the Arauco War in Chile. Written in three parts, it blends historical narrative with visionary and allegorical elements. The poem praises the courage of the Mapuche leaders, despite Ercilla's belief in the legitimacy of Spanish rule. Composed in ottava rima, it reflects on the battles between the Mapuche and Spanish conquerors, highlighting the Mapuche's struggle for independence.
La Araucana (sometimes also called The Araucaniad) is a poem by Alonso de Ercilla y Zúñiga (1533-1594). Ercilla was an aristocrat born into a Basque family who was raised in the court of King Philip II of Spain after his father's death. He was well educated and well-traveled. In 1555, he traveled to the New World, first to Peru and then to Chile, where he was a witness to the revolt of the Araucanians. He wrote La Araucana in three parts, published in 1569, 1578, and 1589-1590, with the first part being historical narrative, the second part incorporating visionary and allegorical elements, and the third part collecting miscellaneous impressions of people and events related to the war.
Araucanía or Araucana is a term the Spaniards used to describe the Mapuche or Moluche indigenous inhabitants of Chile. In contemporary Chile, the term Araucanians (araucanos ) is considered demeaning as...
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it was coined by colonial oppressors. Before the Spanish conquest, they were an agricultural culture known for their striking textiles. The Arauco War, in which Ercilla was a participant, ran from 1546 through 1793, with the Mapuche resisting Spanish conquest and rule. Even after Chilean independence, the Mapuche still suffer from various forms of repression and discrimination which they continue to resist.
The 37 cantos or major sections of the poem are written in ottava rima, an eight-line stanza made popular by Boccaccio, Ariosto, Tasso and other Italian Renaissance poets for heroic and mock heroic poems. The rhyme scheme is a-b-a-b-a-b-c-c.
The poem begins with the capture and death of the Spanish conqueror Pedro de Valdivia, whom Ercilla sees as blameworthy due to his mistreatment of the Mapuche, and continues with extended treatment of the subsequent course of the rebellion, the execution of Mapuche leaders, and the suppression of the rebellion. Much of the text covers military encounters. Even though Ercilla sees Spanish rule as legitimate, he admires the courage, character, and wisdom of the Mapuche leaders such as Caupolicán, Lautaro, Colocolo, and Galvarino, treating them as "noble savages". He models his style on classical epic and treats the Mapuche with the sort of sympathy that Homer evinces for the Trojans.
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Keep in mind that you are actually asking for the summary of an epic poem, which is quite an unusual request. However, I am happy to provide one for you. Also, you didn't indicate whether you wanted the summary in Spanish or English. Since eNotes is primarily an English-language site, I am going to use that language. Regardless, this story is about the native culture of Chile during Spain's attempt to conquer Chile under Alonso de Ercilla.
As the national poem of Chile and a work of the Spanish Golden Age, this story is mostly about numerous battles. The Arauca Indians were both a fierce and a proud race to take on the Spanish. A member of Phillip II's own family tells that story. All the Arauca want is independence, but it doesn't come easily.
As evidenced by the story, the full fight became known as the Arauco War. We learn that this story is really about just the beginning of that war. Now we read, in verse form, battle after battle of the lesser-known conqusest of this war precisely because the author fought in them and could give first hand experience. The result would affect Chile economically, socially, and politically for centuries.
In conclusion, please realize that La Araucana is known as The Araucaniad when it is referred to in English. Due to the discrepancies in translation and due to the fact that it is a 16th-century epic poem, summaries are hard to come by.