Evolution of Spanish Poetry: Jarchas to Garcilaso
Popular Lyrics and Their Origins
A lyrical genre with roots in Greece, popular lyrics were born alongside music. This poetry stems from the voice of a poetic "self" to communicate personal experiences or feelings, generating a subjective character versus the objective nature of the time.
Characteristics of Popular Lyrics
- Vernacular and Anonymous: These were popular songs written in the vernacular language, characterized by their vitality and simplicity, which picked up the genuine feelings of the common people.
- Secular Nature: They possessed a secular character and were frequently accompanied by dancing.
- Recipient: They were addressed to a concrete character.
- Formal Variety: Formally, they featured a great variety of metrical schemes that could become contaminated by other narrative or dramatic forms, as they always represented a world centered on the ego of the poet.
- Themes: Common themes included the coming of spring and the rebirth of nature, work songs, and songs to accompany weddings or funerals.
- Love and Complaints: Very common themes of love poems included songs expressing the loving complaint of a friend (queja de amigo), as well as recreated encounters developed between a shepherdess and a gentleman.
The Jarchas: Early Romance Poetry
The jarchas represent the first evidence of Romance lyricism. They are short compositions from Al-Andalus, closely related to the poetry of educated Arab and Jewish poets.
What Are Jarchas?
A jarcha is a set of three or four lines that served to close some love songs (known as muwashshahas), reflecting the cultural refinement of the Arab world.
Features of Jarchas
- Written in Mozarabic Romance.
- Linked to the muwashshaha by rhyme, but remaining thematically independent.
- Put into the mouth of a female "self" who confesses her amorous passion, complaining about a lack of love or the abandonment of her beloved.
- They are often addressed to a silent partner or confidante, such as a mother or sisters.
Jorge Manrique: Soldier and Poet
The Soldier
Born in 1440, Jorge Manrique fought on the side that supported the nomination of Isabella as Queen of Castile. He died from injuries sustained in battle in 1479.
The Poet
His work is inscribed within the canons of courtly lyric poetry (poesía cancioneril), featuring refined (culta) poetry and loving themes. The masterpiece that stands out is the Verses on the Death of His Father (Coplas por la muerte de su padre), which focuses on themes that deeply worry men, such as the transience of time and the arbitrariness of fortune.
The Structure of the Stanzas
Internal structure: The poem begins with general considerations regarding the overall human condition, moves to recollections of historical facts, and concludes with the personal memory of Manrique's father.
Garcilaso de la Vega and the Renaissance
Born in Toledo in 1501, Garcilaso de la Vega had a brief life closely linked to the trajectory of Emperor Charles I. In 1526, he moved to Granada with the court, where he met one of the Queen's ladies, Isabel Freire. He fell deeply in love with her, and from this love arose the poet's most significant work, including his sonnets and other compositions.
These works constitute a diary of love, a Petrarchan songbook dedicated to his lady, characterized by the following considerations:
- They are dedicated to a single lady.
- They feature an alternation of metrical forms as an expression of different moods.
- They can be read sequentially as a narrative story.