Viaje del Parnaso

The chief object of the poem is to survey contemporary Spanish poets, assembled on an imaginary boat to Parnassus, and ridicule (and sometimes throw overboard) those who, in Cervantes' opinion, are deficient.

This satire is of a peculiar character: an effusion of sportive humour, leaving it a matter of doubt whether Cervantes intended to praise or to ridicule the individuals whom he points out as being particularly worthy of the favour of Apollo.

Cervantes' aims in composing the poem seem to have been to characterise true poetry according to his own poetic feelings, to manifest in a decided way his enthusiasm for the art even in his old age, and to hold up a mirror for the conviction of those who were only capable of making rhymes and inventing extravagances.

Mercury, after addressing to him many flattering compliments, conducts him to a ship entirely built of different kinds of verse, which is intended to convey a cargo of Spanish poets to the kingdom of Apollo.

Among the passages, which for burlesque humour vie with Don Quixote is the description of a second storm, in which Neptune vainly endeavours to plunge the poetasters to the bottom of the deep.