Literary Transition: Medieval to Modern Times (14th-15th Century)

The Pre-Renaissance Period (14th Century)

This era marks the nature of transition between medieval and modern times, characterized by a sense of crisis (insecurity and pessimism) and the belief that the world was governed by chance.

Key Italian Authors and Works

• Dante Alighieri (1265–1321), Italy
  • Vita Nuova (New Life): Love poems dedicated to Beatrice (representing the dolce stil novo style).
  • The Divine Comedy: An allegorical poem about the fate of mankind.
• Francesco Petrarch (1304–1374), Italy
  • Canzoniere (Songbook): Dedicated to Laura (dolce stil novo).
  • Initiator of Humanism; transformed the love lyric genre.
• Giovanni Boccaccio (1313–1375), Italy
  • The Decameron: A collection of stories.

The Spanish Songbooks (Cancioneros)

The lyrics of the fifteenth-century educated Castilian court were collected in these songbooks, showcasing the poetic production of the era.

• Cancionero de Baena
• Cancionero de Stúñiga (Songbook of Stúñiga)

The Romances (Ballads)

Types of Romances

• Old Romances (Romances Viejos): Anonymous, transmitted orally, often addressing themes found in lost epics.
• New or Art Romances (Romances Nuevos o de Arte): Created by known authors in imitation of the traditional style.

Characteristics of the Romance

• Composition: Lyrical narrative, often described as lyric-epic.
• Meter and Rhyme: Verses of eight syllables (octosyllables) with assonance rhyme in pairs.
• Fragmentary Nature: The narrative is often brief and focused, sometimes starting in media res, which lends a dramatic and mysterious tone.

Thematic Categories

• Epic: Featuring themes and characters from traditional epics.
• Historical or News: Dealing with recent historical events.
• Lyrical and Romantic: Very brief and emotional (focusing on love, death, loneliness, etc.).

Jorge Manrique and the Coplas por la muerte de su padre

Jorge Manrique is considered the highest representative of fifteenth-century Castilian poetry. His best-known work is the elegiac composition entitled Coplas por la muerte de su padre (Verses on the Death of His Father).

Structure of the Coplas

The work consists of forty-two stanzas, known as coplas de pie quebrado (broken-foot couplets) or coplas manriqueñas.

Each stanza consists of twelve verses that follow the pattern: 8a 8b 4c 8a 8b 4c 8d 8e 4f 8d 8e 4f.

The Coplas are generally divided into two parts:

1. Part One (First 24 Stanzas): General reflections on life, time, and fortune.
2. Part Two (Remaining Stanzas): Exalts the figure of his deceased father, Don Rodrigo Manrique, and discusses the nature of true fame and eternal life.

Style

The style employed is characterized by its naturalness and innovation. Manrique replaces the traditional high style with a more humble and accessible style, focusing on clarity and relevance in the use of sentences.

Key stylistic features include:

• Abundant use of metaphors and images.
• Frequent use of rhetorical questions.

Themes of the Coplas

Manrique’s treatment of death is notably different from earlier medieval depictions. He does not describe death with macabre features (such as a ruthless avenger or a power against which no resistance could be placed), but rather presents it as a minister of God.

The subject of Fame is central. Manrique uses the concept of fame in the sense popular in 15th-century Italy: fame gained through virtuous actions committed in this life feeds back into the enjoyment of the blessed in the afterlife.

Thanks to the good deeds done in his earthly life and the fame gained by them, Don Rodrigo Manrique is able to conquer death and achieve eternal life.