Key Works and Literary Movements of Medieval Spanish Literature

Medieval Spanish Prose

Early Castilian Prose

• Alfonsine Prose: Initiated by Alfonso X the Wise, considered the creator of Castilian prose.
• Literary Prose (14th Century): Literary prose flourished, exemplified by authors like Pero López de Ayala, who introduced a historical genre with a humanistic spirit.

Don Juan Manuel and El Conde Lucanor

Don Juan Manuel, a prominent author of the 14th century, is renowned for El Conde Lucanor (also known as Libro de Patronio). This collection comprises 50 classic tales, many of Eastern origin, through which Count Lucanor receives instruction and moral guidance from his wise servant and adviser, Patronio.

Poema de Mio Cid: An Epic Masterpiece

The Poema de Mio Cid is the oldest preserved Castilian epic poem. It is traditionally divided into three cantos or parts:

1. The Song of Exile (Cantar del Destierro)

   This canto narrates how El Cid, Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, is unjustly exiled from Castile by King Alfonso VI. He embarks on a journey into Moorish territory, where he achieves his first significant victories and sends gifts to the King to regain his favor.

2. The Song of the Weddings (Cantar de las Bodas)

   This section focuses on El Cid's conquest of Valencia. It describes his reunion with his family in the newly conquered city and the subsequent marriage of his daughters, Doña Elvira and Doña Sol, to the Infantes of Carrión.

3. The Song of the Outrage of Corpes (Cantar de la Afrenta de Corpes)

   The final canto recounts the humiliation and abandonment of El Cid's daughters by their cowardly husbands, the Infantes of Carrión, in the oak grove of Corpes. It details the subsequent legal reparation sought in the courts of Toledo, culminating in the annulment of the marriages and the announcement of new marriages for his daughters with the Infantes of Navarre and Aragon, restoring El Cid's honor.

Key Features and Themes of Poema de Mio Cid

• Loyalty: Unwavering loyalty to the king, despite unjust exile.
• Honor: The central theme, focusing on the recovery and defense of El Cid's honor and that of his family.
• Family Love: Strong bonds and affection within El Cid's family.
• Religious Faith: Christian values and divine intervention play a role.
• Realism: Portrayal of historical and geographical details.

Literary Developments and Genres

Evolution of Literary Genres

The medieval literary landscape saw significant shifts:

• Epic Poetry: Traditional epic poems and the Mester de Clerecía (Clergy's Craft) gradually declined.
• Rise of Ballads: In their place, old ballads (romances viejos) emerged, revitalizing the epic tradition and enriching it with new themes and narrative forms.

Important Literary Trends

• Cultured lyric poetry began to show interest in folk songs.
• Theatrical activity reappeared and gained prominence.
• Historical prose and didactic narrative poetry were actively encouraged and developed.

Traditional Popular Literature: The Old Ballads (Romances)

These are short lyrical-epic compositions believed to have originated from the fragmentation of longer, ancient epic poems. This theory was notably advanced by Menéndez Pidal. However, other scholars propose that some romances might be the result of a single creative effort by an individual author.

Jorge Manrique: Coplas por la muerte de su padre

Jorge Manrique's Coplas por la muerte de su padre (Stanzas on the Death of His Father) is a profound elegy and a masterpiece of Castilian poetry.

Metrics

The poem employs the distinctive copla manriqueña (Manrique stanza), a twelve-line stanza with a rhyme scheme of abcabc defdef, characterized by alternating octosyllabic and tetrasyllabic lines.

Structure

The Coplas are typically divided into three thematic parts:

• Stanzas 1-13: Focus on moral reflections and universal themes such as the fleeting nature of time (tempus fugit), the transience of earthly possessions, and the vanity of worldly life.
• Stanzas 14-24: Reflect on the theme of ubi sunt? (where are they?), lamenting the absence of illustrious persons from the past and the ephemeral nature of fame and power.
• Stanzas 25-40: Dedicated to the life, virtues, and death of Manrique's father, Don Rodrigo Manrique, portraying him as an exemplary knight and Christian, and contemplating death as a gateway to eternal life.

Themes

• The World: Viewed as a transient place; for a good Christian, true eternal life is found in heaven.
• Fortune: Portrayed as capricious and unpredictable, highlighting the instability of earthly success.
• Time (Tempus Fugit): Emphasizes the relentless passage of time and the non-existence of the future, urging a focus on the present and spiritual preparation.
• Death: Depicted as an untimely, gruesome, and cruel force, yet, from a Christian viewpoint, it is the inevitable and necessary gateway to eternity.
• Fame: Distinguished between fleeting earthly fame and the enduring, eternal fame achieved through virtuous deeds and a Christian life.