Poem of the Cid: A Literary and Historical Analysis

The Metric, Language, and Style of the Poem of the Cid

Over 3,000 verses in the Poem of the Cid are grouped into assonant monorhyme stanzas of varying lengths, ranging from 2 to 90 lines. The lines are irregular and divided into two hemistiches by a strong caesura, often represented graphically by a separation. The most common hemistiches have 6, 7, or 8 syllables.

The poem's language emphasizes clarity, specificity, and simplicity of expression. Minstrel features include frequent invocations of listeners, exclamatory expressions suggesting an audience, and a steady narrative pace. The oral tradition also explains the free use of verb forms and the use of epic epithets and appositions, which magnify the heroes, especially the Cid. Parallels to minstrel performance are evident.

The lexicon includes frequent archaisms, legal and Arabic terms, and some Aragonese vernacularisms, possibly indicating composition in a border region. A binary structure of Moors versus Christians is also present.

Structure and Content

The poem is divided into three parts, often called "songs," with increasing novelization: the Song of Exile, the Song of the Wedding, and the Song of the Affront at Corpes. The internal structure is marked by the twin processes of loss (exile) and recovery of the Cid's honor (marriages of his daughters), followed by a new loss (Corpes) and a final restoration of honor (marriages to the sons of the kings of Navarre and Aragon).

Content Analysis

Political Level

The poem presents a Castile-León conflict. The Cid, a Castilian knight, faces the Leonese king. The Cid's enemies are also Leonese nobles. The poem aligns with the anti-Leonese sentiment in Spanish tradition, exalting the Cid and Castile.

Socio-Economic Level

The Poem expresses ideals of legal equality and social mobility characteristic of the frontier spirit in which it originated. It reflects the minstrel's and audience's tastes. The poem depicts the Cid's warlike lifestyle, traces of military incursions, the aspiration to prosper, and disdain for the aristocracy.

Individual Level

The hero, Rodrigo Díaz, exiled by the king, faces the challenge of regaining his lost glory and livelihood. The Cid acts as an epic hero, possessing superior qualities and performing extraordinary actions. The Cid's exaltation contrasts with the ridicule and degradation of the cowardly and avaricious nobles of Carrion and the court messengers.