Late Medieval Spanish Literature: Manrique, Romances, and Celestina

Jorge Manrique: The Coplas

Themes and Structure of the Work

• Reflection on Mortality: Focuses on the transience of life and the certainty of death. It revives the classical themes of tempus fugit (time flies) and memento mori (remember death).
• Nostalgic Evocation: An emotional remembrance of the past, emphasizing transience through rhetorical questions, notably the ubi sunt (where are they?) motif.
• The Figure of Don Rodrigo: The poem individualizes the theme around the figure of the poet's father, Don Rodrigo Manrique. He is presented as the ideal knight, embodying virtues, exploits, Christian resignation, and serenity in the face of death.

Style and Significance

Style

The style is simple and anti-rhetorical. The naturalness and clarity of the language contrast effectively with the profound seriousness of the subject matter.

Meaning of the Coplas

Manrique's work reflects the spiritual and aesthetic sensitivity characteristic of the end of the Middle Ages. His father, Don Rodrigo, serves as an embodiment of the virtues of chivalry and medieval Christian ideals.

The Spanish Romances (Ballads)

The genre of the Romance (Ballad) emerged in the late fifteenth century, partly influenced by the rise of Humanism. Learned poets became interested in the songs transmitted orally and began incorporating them into musical songbooks, collecting both the lyrics and the melodies.

Types of Romances

• Old Romances (Romances Viejos): These are anonymous ballads transmitted orally. Their themes often align with those found in the French chansons de geste (epic poems).
• New Romances (Romances Nuevos): These are compositions written by known authors, consciously imitating the style and structure of the older ballads.

Characteristics of the Romance

The Romance is fundamentally a composition intended to be sung. Key structural and thematic features include:

• Meter and Rhyme: It consists of octosyllabic (eight-syllable) lines. The structure uses assonance rhyme only on the even verses, while the odd verses remain unrhymed (sueltos).
• Genre Hybrid: It is an epic-lyrical composition that narrates a brief story, effectively combining resources from both lyric poetry and epic narrative.
• Language: It utilizes colloquial language, often appealing directly to the audience and employing traditional epic epithets.
• Fragmentary Nature: The narrative often appears incomplete, presenting a brief story that seems like a fragment taken from a larger, unknown account, lacking a clear beginning or end.

Style and Themes

The style is highly distinctive, characterized by a rich blend of lyrical, epic, and dramatic resources. The tone is generally simple, strong, agile, and emotive.

Thematic Categories

• Epic/Historical: Dealing with recent historical events or news.
• Lyrical/Fictional: Focusing on themes such as love, death, and loneliness.

La Celestina (Tragicomedia de Calisto y Melibea)

Literary Genre and Structure

This work is structured as an extended dialogue, following the model of the Italian Humanistic Comedy. It was primarily intended to be read aloud rather than staged as traditional theater.

A key feature of the Humanistic Comedy, evident in La Celestina, is the abundant use of psychological and sentimental analysis.

Central Themes

The central themes combine Fortune, Love, and Death. Fortune is depicted as a powerful force that drives the characters through their passions, ultimately leading them toward tragic outcomes and death.