Abstract
Melendez himself indicated in 1797 that contemplation of the immensity, variety and order of the universe and its place in the great chain of being was one of the main subjects of his own philosophical poetry and a means of renewing Spanish poetry in general. The present study identifies this subject matter with the aesthetics of the cosmic sublime which characterizes a major strand of contemporary European philosophical poetry. In particular, the article highlights specific texts –in addition to ones from the European poets traditionally cited– which may have contributed to Melendez’s concept of the cosmic sublime, and draws attention to the presence of this thematic strand throughout Melendez’s poetic career (1780-1814), analyzing the chosen poems from the perspective of the literary, philosophical and religious context of the cosmic sublime.
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