Poetry and Pedagogy in St. Teresa of Avila (1515–1582): Affirming Life Lessons for Women

Abstract

An examination of Teresa of Ávila’s autobiography Life (Vida), in conjunction with relevant poetry of hers, as texts which focus on expression of the female essence from an initial apparently negative perspective, reveals that repeated devices, images and rhetorical strategies result in a powerful, positive presentation of self. What appears as denial and negation of the feminine ultimately becomes an affirmation of power and authority. While seeming traditional at the outset, Teresa’s autobiographical format, in its non-linear and more diachronic form, along with her poetry, represent the assertive feminist life-writing that is prevalent today among women telling their stories. It assumes emphasis on the female spirit in a non-apologetic way and adjusts language accordingly, to reflect mystic ecstasy as “jouissance” (“pleasure”) and the power of words to construct a reality that is open, inviting and strong. Much of Teresa’s poetry does exactly the same and achieves a similar pedagogical end, not only providing lessons in mystic rapture but also in the form and manner of female/feminist story-telling that transcends boundaries of gender, genre, and time period.