Catalan Literary Figures: March, Metge, and the Rise of Humanism

The Purpose of Royal Chronicles

The chronicles of the kings were dictated by the monarchs themselves. Their primary goal was **propaganda**: showing readers and listeners the great deeds of the monarchs, justifying military actions and policies, and serving as an example of nobility and heroism.

Jordi de Sant Jordi: Poetic Language and the Poem "Prisoner"

Jordi de Sant Jordi was a poet of love poetry, and his songs of farewell and enyorament (longing) are distinguished by their sensitivity and melancholy. The poem "Prisoner" presents a realistic and personal character, marking a departure from traditional troubadouresque topics.

The Two Major Italian Poets

Dante Alighieri and Petrarch.

Ausias March: Poet-Philosopher and Love Philosophy

The concept of poetry by Ausias March is intrinsically linked to thought, reflection, and philosophy, earning him the title of **Poet-Philosopher**. The matter of his poetry is deeply personal.

His philosophy of love is a personal doctrine concerning the relationship between a man and a woman, based on two principles:

1. The duality of the person.
2. The dignity of human love.

The appellation of **"Poet Split"** proves the struggle of good versus evil, or the spirit against the flesh.

Ausias March: Borrowed Troubadour Resources

Ausias March departed significantly from the troubadour tradition, yet he borrowed several resources:

• Concepts: Poetic concept, poetic matter, the concept of women, and poetic language.
• Poetic Devices: Images, comparisons, structure, and the use of the senyal (signal/pseudonym).

Metric Features and Rhetoric of Ausias March

He wrote classic **decasyllable** verses in poems typically structured in eight stanzas, known as cobles (couplets). The bases of his rhetoric are comparisons and extensive imagery. The senyal was used as a pseudonym for the woman addressed in the poem.

Values Transmitted by the Songs of Geste

Songs of Geste transmitted a series of values very close to the medieval mind:

• Loyalty to the king.
• The strength of lineage.
• Camaraderie among the knights.
• Exemplary heroism, mainly of warriors who died in campaign.

The Rise of Humanism and Literary Style

Humanism emerged in Italy as a cultural movement advocating a return to classical Greek and Latin. It spread to Catalonia through the Royal Chancery.

Humanist writers adopted a more secular, anthropocentric, skeptical, and elegant way of thinking. The literary style often imitated the Latin cursus.

Bernat Metge: Assimilating Humanist Influence

Bernat Metge is considered the best writer who assimilated Humanist influence. His most important work is Lo Somni (The Dream).

He wrote this book while imprisoned, having been indicted following the death of King Joan I, in order to persuade King Martí of his innocence.