Ausiàs March, James I, and Ramon Llull: Catalan Literature

Ausiàs March: A Valencian Poet of the 15th Century

Ausiàs March (Valencia, 1400-1459) came from a family of former citizens linked to the service of the crown, who ascended to the nobility in 1360. James March, his grandfather, was very influenced by the poetry of his nephew, and this is seen in his three poems of allegorical love themes, and a brief lyrical production. Ausiàs March’s father, Peter March, was the author of three new compositions in rhyme and several lyrical poems with a moral and sententious character. He was influenced by his father, as Sanavia was making great changes. We know nothing of the true beginnings of the author, but apart from the common religious and military training, the future knight must have acquired some knowledge of grammar, history, and natural and moral philosophy. Between 1420 and 1421, he participated in the service of Alfonso the Magnanimous. This relationship offered an opportunity for Ausiàs to meet some of the most brilliant poets of his time: George of St. George, Andrew Louis Vilarrasa, or February. By now, he should have started his literary activity. His first composition that can be dated is poem 13, which refers to a historical event that occurred between 1426 and 1427.

After leaving military activity, he reduced himself to the affairs of a feudal lord. To imitate one of the first poets of the Marquise was perhaps Louis Vilarrasa. And very probably before, March’s verses were often cited in correspondence between Pedro de Urrea and the Catalan poet Pere Torroella (one of March’s most prominent imitators). Ausiàs March had become a literary canon and authority of love. He was the poet who had best expressed the extreme sentimentality characteristic of 15th-century literature. None of his imitators ever reached his moral level, but they did reach his expressive level. In the 16th century, his work was accessible five times in print and went through various translations. Increasingly distant from the cultural reality of Catalan literature, his poetry served to fertilize Spanish Renaissance poetry. The work of Ausiàs March has come down to us today through thirteen manuscript songbooks of the 15th and 16th centuries and five editions between 1539 and 1560. There are 128 poems attributed to him in the love songs that dominate the five or nine stanzas of eight lines followed by a refrain, although there are shorter ones.

James I the Conqueror and His Chronicle

The first of the four children of James I is the chronicle The Conqueror (1208-1276), which in its manuscript bears the title of Free fet. It was written in two phases, in 1244 and 1274. The king is the author because he inspired, directed, and dictated the parts, although he did not personally write it, with the help of collaborators. The chronicle is shaped like an autobiography or memoirs. The monarch, in the first person in the us – majestic and sometimes I (authoritas) – explains his long reign, placing special emphasis on the military actions that he and his armies led, such as the conquest of Majorca and Valencia. The king is presented as a hero of achievement, like a very belligerent, and gives extensive and detailed views of his campaigns by sea and by land. Sometimes, however, he also tells us details and inconsequential scenes of his daily life that bring us closer to the privacy of the monarch, such as the anecdote of the swallow’s nest in the royal tent:

Ramon Llull: A Multifaceted Catalan Figure

Ramon Llull (1232-1316) is, par excellence, the author of doctrinal literature but is a character beyond this label. He used and enriched literature in Catalan for the first time to disseminate his ideas. He became an activist who dared to plant himself on the lands of infidels and indoctrinate them, writing an immense work in Catalan and Latin during a long life. It is not surprising that the official church saw him at times with not much favor, as he did not agree with that intention and belief. He needed to find a method that would organize his ideas, and he did so through art, the core system of Llull.

Timeline of Ramon Llull’s Life and Work

  • 1263: Llull’s conversion to religious life at 32 years old, after a miraculous and prophetic vision of Christ crucified. He understands that he has dedicated his life to God. He sells all his possessions and breaks family ties.
  • 1265-1274: Llull began his stage of intellectual formation in Mallorca, probably at the school of the Monastery of Santa Maria Real. He learned Arabic with a slave and studied Latin especially. He led a contemplative life on Mount Randa. He started the Art design, which will be revealed by God as if it were the Bible. This revelation is known as the Illumination of Randa.

Selected Works of Ramon Llull

  • Philosophical and Scientific Prose: A Book of Contemplation in God
  • Art of Preaching: Book of Virtues and Sins
  • Narrative Work: Book of Beasts
  • Poetry: Voice of Ramon