Gongoresque

/ɡɔŋɡəˈrɛsk/ adjective

Definition

Written in a highly ornate, excessively complex style full of elaborate language and wordplay, named after Spanish poet Luis de Góngora.

Etymology

From Luis de Góngora (1561-1627), Spanish Baroque poet, plus the suffix -esque meaning 'in the style of.' His poetry was characterized by dense metaphors and obscure vocabulary, creating a literary movement that valued complexity over clarity.

Kelly Says

Gongoresque is basically the literary equivalent of turning a simple sentence into an elaborate maze on purpose—it became so fashionable in 17th-century Spain that poets competed to be more confusing than each other, which is kind of hilarious when you think about it.

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