Fifteenth Century Valencian Poetry: A Literary Analysis

Splendor of Fifteenth-Century Poetry

The fifteenth century is often called the Golden Age of Valencian literature. The cultural center of the Crown of Aragon was the city of Valencia, which surpassed Barcelona. Key literary developments included:

• Cultured Poetry (Ausias Marc and Joan Rois de Corella)
• Satirical Poetry (Jaime Roig): A satirical vein that criticizes the customs of the time.

Fifteenth-Century Poets

Ausias Marc

Ausias Marc was born in Valencia into a family of poets and knights. He took part in the expedition of Alfonso the Magnanimous (king). Approximately one hundred twenty-eight of his poems survive, including 'Songs of Love,' 'Songs of Death,' 'Moral Songs,' and 'Spiritual Song.'

His poetry departed from the poetic tradition of the troubadours (courtly love: faithfulness under protection), making poetry an instrument of confession. It is a reflection on the duality of human beings: body and spirit. The internal struggle that must be maintained when deciding on carnal or spiritual love is a recurring theme. He expresses himself in a language devoid of ornamentation. His poetry is full of erudition and makes many references to classic authors, Italian poets, and troubadours.

Joan Rois de Corella

Joan Rois de Corella earned the title of master in theology and was famous as a preacher. He is best known for his secular poetry and prose.

Corella represents the embodiment of the crisis of the chivalric spirit. His clerical status and personal drama marked his style, giving it a tone of intimacy and sensibility, replacing philosophical disquisitions and the tormented style of Ausiàs. Amorous passion was the center of his poetry, showing his fine sensibility. Some of his works launch hatred against women who have cheated.

His Prose

One of the prose works that Rois de Corella wrote is entitled 'Tragedy of Caldesa,' named after the lady who inspired a passionate love.

Valencia School of Satire

Satirical poetry, which had begun to grow in the fourteenth century, reached its peak in the fifteenth century among the circles of bourgeois intellectuals in Valencia: the Valencia School of Satire.

Jaime Roig

The vernacular used in his work contrasts with the language of Rois de Corella. He was a predecessor of current Valencian literature. A famous satirist and physician, his unique work, 'lEspill' or 'Book of Women' (1456), does not reflect his true personality. 'lEspill' is written in tetrasyllabic lines (sixteen thousand).

Juxtaposed: Do not believe, there was no tail.

Coordinating Conjunctions:

• Copulative: and, or.
• Disjunctive: either or, or but.
• Distributive: Now, not only but also.
• Adversative: but, however, nevertheless, even so.
• Consecutive: therefore, so.

Prefixes:

• a- (denial)
• co-, along with
• des- (otherwise)
• dis- (unlike)
• in-, i- (inside)
• es- (suppression)
• pre- (before)
• pro- (in favor of)
• trans- (across)

Suffixes:

• Augmentative/Diminutive: -et/-eta, -ot/-ota, -às/-assa, -íssim/-íssima
• Demonym: -à/-ana, -enc/-enca, -ès/-esa, -í/-ina (Catalan)
• Collectivity: -eda, -ar
• Crafts: -er/-era, -ista/-ista, -à/-ana (Dressmaker)
• Trees and Plants: -er/-era (apple tree)