Key Concepts in Spanish Literature: Jarchas to Baroque Theater
What is a Jarcha?
The term jarcha signifies an exit or end. It refers to popular lyrical compositions from Muslim Hispania that constituted part of the moaxaja. Hispanic jarchas were composed in colloquial Arabic dialects or the Mozarabic tongue. These were romance verses written by learned Jewish and Arab poets who took traditional Roman lyrics as their model. Folklore could collect these, or poets could adapt them to their needs or compose them based on traditional metric patterns. Their importance lies in being the oldest known documents of romance language poetry.
Diatopic Varieties
Diatopic varieties are variations of a language that occur along the geographic extension in which a given language is spoken historically, manifesting as dialects. Within Spain, one must consider southern varieties and those in contact with Catalan, Galician, etc. Outside of Spain, we must mention Latin American varieties.
General Characteristics of Baroque Theater
Theater in the Spanish Golden Age is characterized by its thematic plurality. The issues range from medieval epics and human history to daily life, covering current social, political, and religious topics.
Baroque Authors
- Lope de Vega (e.g., Fuente Ovejuna)
- Tirso de Molina
- Pedro Calderón de la Barca
Romance Ballads
Romance ballads are anonymous narrative poems intended to be sung. They are composed of eight-syllable lines rhyming in assonance on even lines, although there are cases where this varies, and they can contain more or fewer verses, similar to silvas.
Book of Good Love (Libro de Buen Amor)
Structure
The work is presented as an autobiography structured in a series of affairs, usually unsuccessful, which are often mediated by a third party.
Sense of the Work
The purpose is to teach and collect poetic compositions. The author justifies the didacticism of the amorous adventures by introducing a songbook framed within the narration. The author states his purpose is to induce the reader toward "proper love." The book contains parts of humor but also sections with a serious tone.
Style
The author introduces popular language, which is especially obvious in the use of proverbs (refranero), calls to the listener, and the use of sexual euphemisms.