15th Century Spanish Lyric Poetry: Authors, Themes, and Masterpieces

The Cultured Lyric of the 15th Century

During the 15th century, courtly poetry emerged thanks to the nobility's attachment to the arts and letters. It draws heavily on courtly love traditions.

Key Features of Courtly Love Poetry

• Subjection of Love: The poet is devoted to a lady without being able to avoid it.
• The beloved is upper class and unattainable. The lady does not desire the lover.
• The name of the woman is hidden to avoid calumny.
• The lover suffers from not seeing his beloved.
• Love ceases only with death.

This lyric is notable for its formal aspects.

Medieval Spanish Songbooks (Cancioneros)

Collections of poems by various authors. The most important are the Cancionero de Baena and the Cancionero de Estúñiga. They collected both cultured and traditional lyric poetry.

Marqués de Santillana: Literary Contributions

He holds decisive significance in literary history. He participated in the spread of humanistic knowledge, introduced the sonnet in Spanish literature, and gave prestige to the serranillas.

Major Compositions and Influences

Italian Influence: Following Dante

Santillana followed the footsteps of Dante. Sonetos al itálico modo is the first work with sonnets in our language.

Troubadour-Inspired Works

A series of songs and sayings in which he adopts the form of the genre. His narrative technique was influenced by the style of the ballads: the poet abruptly introduces the subject and concludes suddenly.

Juan de Mena: Master of Italianate Poetry

Courtly Poetry

Composed of short pieces following the prevailing courtly fashion.

Italianate Poetry: El Laberinto de Fortuna

This style brought him fame. He is presented as a cultured poet addressing a prepared minority. His most famous work is El Laberinto de Fortuna, also known as Las Trescientas. Mena wanted to create a unique literary language for artistic expression, distinct from common speech.

Jorge Manrique: Poet, Warrior, and Moralist

Known as a poet-warrior for his passion for arms and letters.

Major Works and Themes

Love Poetry

Written in the style of the time, characterized by great simplicity of language and moderate use of allegories and Latinisms, typical of Italianate poets of the era.

Burlesque Poetry

Only three compositions are preserved, following the tradition of Cantigas with ironic and critical tones.

Moral Poetry: Coplas por la muerte de su padre

His main lyrical work of this century: Coplas por la muerte de su padre (Verses on the Death of His Father).

Manrique's Poetic Style

Simple and unadorned expression. He avoids neologisms or epithets, relying essentially on nouns. Stanza: Double sextet (or copla de pie quebrado), with a rhyme scheme of abcabc defdef. The rhythm is fluid.

Significance of Coplas por la muerte de su padre

The work is a compilation of all medieval sentiments regarding death. Manrique chose the elegy, expressing profound grief over the death of a loved one.

Structure and Content of the Coplas

Couplets I-XIII: Transience of Life

An overview of the transience of life and the universal value of death. The central theme is the disregard for worldly possessions. Typical topics include the passage of time and the role of fortune.

Couplets XIV-XXIV: The Ubi Sunt? Motif

Similar to the first section, this part employs the ubi sunt? (Where are they?) motif, reflecting on the disappearance of past glories and figures.

Couplets XXV-XL: Praise for Rodrigo Manrique

Master Rodrigo Manrique, the author's father, is introduced and praised. Death is presented as the crowning achievement of a virtuous and heroic life. The poet immortalizes his father through these verses, fulfilling the elegy's purpose. The theme of death here is associated with renewed fame and heroism, elements capable of conquering oblivion.