A 17th-century Spanish literary style emphasizing ornate, baroque language and complex imagery over clarity and simplicity.
From Spanish 'culto' (cultured/refined) plus '-ismo' (movement/style), named after the movement's leaders. It paralleled Italian and French baroque excess, emphasizing the cultivation of highly artificial, learned language.
Spanish writers basically decided 'let's make language as complicated as possible,' intentionally packing sentences with obscure references and twisted syntax—it's like showing off your vocabulary at maximum volume!
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