15th-Century Literature: Humanism, Poetry, Prose, and Theater

**15th-Century Literature: A Blend of Medieval and Humanist Ideals**

**Key Literary Models of the Era**

• Dante Alighieri: Author of *The Divine Comedy*
• Francesco Petrarch: Known for his love poetry, which influenced European literature
• Giovanni Boccaccio: A model for sentimental prose

**Characteristics of the Mixture of Humanism and Medieval Themes**

• Chivalric subjects
• Evaluation of fame
• Admiration for a cultivated style
• The demise of the medieval schools of clergy and minstrelsy

**Learned Poetry**

This style, also called "cancionero" because the poetry is preserved in the songbooks of the time, is conceptual and addresses issues such as love, satire, and morality. Love poetry is modeled after medieval courts, while the lyrical theme mimics the moral-allegorical style of the Italian poet Dante.

**Jorge Manrique: "Verses on the Death of His Father"**

Jorge Manrique was a poet considered the best of the century, particularly for his work "Verses on the Death of His Father."

• Author: Jorge Manrique belonged to a noble Castilian family. He died in combat at age 39 and was a representative of the warrior aristocracy.
• Topic: Death. The poem presents the death of his father.
• Structure: 40 stanzas of 12 lines each.
• Parts of the Work:
  • First: Reflection on the transience of life and the certainty of death.
  • Second: Nostalgia, an explanation of the past.
  • Third: Description of his father.
• Style: Anti-rhetorical.
• Meaning of the Verses: Explains the contradictions of the time.

**Romancero**

**Old Ballads**

These are anonymous romances transmitted orally. Some deal with themes from lost epics. Romances originate from songs.

**New or Artistic Romances**

These are compositions written by known authors imitating the past.

**Characteristics of the Romance**

Narrative lyrical compositions created to be sung, comprised of eight-syllable verses. They are epic-lyrical compositions with a fragmented character, presenting a short story or a scene.

**Style of Romance**

It is a combination of lyrical, epic, and dramatic resources.

**Classification of Romance**

• Epic: Themes and characters from *cantares* and chivalry.
• Historical or News: Dealing with recent history, often with a propaganda function.
• Lyrical and Romantic: Very brief and emotional, focusing on love, death, and loneliness.

Characters of the European epic include King Arthur, the Knights of the Round Table, and Charlemagne.

**15th-Century Prose**

• Idealistic Novels: Present an altered, unrealistic reality. Sentimental novels triumphed in this genre.
• Satirical Novels: The most representative is *El Corbacho*.

**15th-Century Theater**

It is primarily religious, but the Renaissance influence appears. *La Celestina* belongs to the genre of humanistic comedy.

**La Celestina** **by Fernando de Rojas**

This is the most important work reflecting the spiritual climate, confusion, and pessimism of a transitional period. It expresses modern sensibility from a pessimistic perspective.

• Author: Fernando de Rojas, a young and modern writer, wrote this book in 15 days. It was first published in 1499 without the author's name. In 1502, another version was published with a foreword warning mad lovers of the dangers of love.
• Literary Genre: A work in dialogue, following the model of Italian humanistic comedy.
• Plot: Calisto goes to Melibea, falls in love, and declares his feelings. She rejects him. His servant Sempronio suggests seeking help from the matchmaker Celestina. His other servant, Pármeno, initially opposes this but eventually joins in. Celestina convinces her associates by promising them servants. Celestina then convinces Melibea with lies and arranges a meeting between Melibea and Calisto, who gives Celestina a gold chain. The servants demand their share from Celestina, but she refuses, leading to her death. The servants are apprehended. Calisto hires new servants. During another meeting with Melibea, the servants shout across the garden. Calisto, attempting to help them, falls from the wall and dies. Melibea, finding her life meaningless without Calisto, takes her own life.
• Characters: Realistic.
• Themes: Fortune, love, and death.
• Style: Cultivated style, often combined with colloquial language.