Ausiàs March: Catalan Poetry, Humanism, and the Philosophy of Love

The Literary Movement of Humanism

Humanism was a fourteenth-century literary movement that rejected Theocentrism, shifting focus toward the centralization of man. Man began to become the hub of all things. This movement originated in the fourteenth century and concluded in the middle of the fifteenth century, championing a revival of classical roots.

Characteristics of Literary Humanism

The characteristics of literary Humanism include the rejection of all theocentric or classicizing ideologies, focusing instead on the research of what is new and governed by man. This movement notably highlighted the Italian poet, Francesco Petrarch.

Ausiàs March: Style and Poetic Innovation

Language and Style

Ausiàs March is often considered the first poet to write poetry purely in Catalan, as his poems lack the remnants of Occitan found in his predecessors. He declared that his style moved beyond that of the troubadours, adopting a new vision of love. However, he still utilized the troubadours' established poetic forms, employing specific signs and chants in his compositions.

The Corpus of March's Work

The known work of Ausiàs March consists of 128 poems (approximately 10,000 lines), preserved in 13 manuscripts dating from the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries. Five printed editions appeared between 1539 and 1560.

Thematic Groupings in Early Editions

The first printed editions attempted to categorize his work thematically, typically grouped into:

• Songs of Love
• Songs of Death
• Moral Songs

Some later editions include a fourth division: the Spiritual Song.

The Philosophy of Love in March's Poetry

While March's poetry primarily focuses on the theme of love, he explicitly rejected the style of the troubadours. His concept of love is rooted in Aristotelian-Thomistic ideas, suggesting that true fulfillment and joy can only be found in the pure contemplation and knowledge of the beloved object.

This intellectual love stands in opposition to sensual love, which he associates with the animalistic and common. The contradictions experienced by the poetic persona arise from this dual nature of man.

Evolution of March's Poetic Voice

Critical analysis often divides March's work into distinct periods:

• Early Period: The ladies sung about are often concealed under symbolic signals (e.g., "lily among thorns"), and themes of courtly love are frequent.
• Middle Period: Contradiction is symbolized by the opposition of anger/love or hate/love, often introduced by phrases like "oh crazy love" in the chorus of certain poems. March is presented as a deeply divided man.
• Late Period: This stage begins around Poem 87, introducing the great moral and didactic poems, such as the Six Songs of Death and the Spiritual Song. The Spiritual Song is considered the poet's masterpiece and a cornerstone of Catalan poetry.

Legacy and Influence

Despite important Troubadour and Italian influences, March is renowned for his profound introspection and psychological analysis, characterized by powerful forms of expression and sudden shifts in tone and style. His poetry had a remarkable impact on Spanish lyric poetry during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.