Spanish Literary Eras: Manrique, Renaissance, and Baroque

Jorge Manrique: A Fifteenth-Century Poetic Master

Jorge Manrique is considered one of the great poets of the fifteenth century. This assessment is primarily due to his profound verses on the death of his father, the renowned work Coplas por la muerte de su padre. Lope de Vega himself affirmed that this work "merecía ser escrita en letras de oro" (deserved to be written in letters of gold).

Beyond this masterpiece, 40 other compositions, both amorous and satirical, have been preserved. In the Coplas, the poet exalts the figure of his late father, portraying him as a hero who faces death with serenity.

Key Themes and Structure of the Coplas

Two key themes revolve around the poet's reflections:

• Death: The central focus of the poet's meditations.
• Fame: Presented as a means to achieve immortality beyond death.

The work's structure aligns with its themes. Its meter consists of 40 stanzas of "pie quebrado" (broken foot), a form widely used by poets of the fifteenth century. The specific form chosen by Manrique consists of two rhyming sestets: abc, abc. This combination is famously known as the copla manriqueña.

The Spanish Renaissance: Two Distinct Periods

The Spanish Renaissance is typically divided into two phases: the First Renaissance and the Second Renaissance.

First Renaissance (Reign of Charles I)

This period coincided with the reign of Charles I. The First Renaissance was characterized by:

• A strong pursuit of beauty.
• An openness to European influences, particularly Italian poetic currents, which reached their peak with Garcilaso de la Vega.

The themes prevalent in the early Renaissance included:

• An idealized vision of love and nature.
• The incorporation of Greco-Roman mythological themes.

The metrics commonly used were:

• Hendecasyllable (eleven-syllable) and heptasyllable (seven-syllable) verses.
• Common stanza forms such as the tercet, the octave real, the sonnet, and the lira.

In terms of style, poets pursued naturalness of expression, simplicity, and the quest for formal beauty.

Second Renaissance (Reign of Philip II)

The Second Renaissance took place during the reign of Philip II. This period was marked by:

• A tendency towards exterior isolation.
• The Christianization of Italian currents, leading to the emergence of religious literature.
• A notable nationalist and patriotic tendency.

The themes of the Second Renaissance were predominantly religious. The metrics used included:

• Sonnets
• Liras
• Epistles
• Elegies
• Eclogues

The Baroque Period: A New Artistic Vision

Baroque Cultural Context and Characteristics

The Baroque period presented a pessimistic view of life, often perceived as full of illusions and disillusionment. Death was frequently seen not as an end, but as the first step to reaching true happiness. It was a time characterized by intense realism.

Emergence of Baroque Art

In the late sixteenth century, artists reacted against the Renaissance model of beauty, which no longer served to reflect a society in moral and political crisis. A new conception of art, the Baroque style, emerged in Italy. This art form sought to reflect, through complex and elaborate forms, the pain and existential struggles of human existence.