Gongoras Poetic Textual Tradition

Described as one of Spain's foremost Golden-Age poets, Luis de Gongora generated a vast and complex poetic textual tradition through the creation, revision and dissemination of his verse. In later life, he authorized his friend Antonio Chacon to compile an anthology of his poetic works which had been in disarray for many years. Gongora's assistance in identifying the genuine versions of his poems and his participation in the compiling, editing and dating of these poems make the Chacon manuscript (1620) an authoritative collection of the poet's verse. Nevertheless, it includes defective poems and, moreover, the plethora of variants, versions and imitations of his poetry raises questions of authorship and authenticity.