Pre-Renaissance Literature: A Transition to Humanism

Posted on Oct 4, 2024 in Latin

The Pre-Renaissance: A Period of Transition (15th Century)

The 15th century witnessed a crisis in the medieval value system. A new mentality, more grounded in reality, gradually emerged, foreshadowing the Renaissance (16th century). This era is known as the Pre-Renaissance, a period of transition.

Society and Culture:

  • The rise of a new social class: the bourgeoisie, fueled by flourishing commerce.
  • Towns, linked to trade, gained importance, and the court played a crucial role in cultural development.
  • Nobles engaged in allegorical poetry and cancionero or troubadour poetry.
  • The first universities emerged, disseminating knowledge beyond monasteries.
  • Humanists rediscovered classical art and thought, establishing them as models for emulation.
  • Printing appeared, revolutionizing the spread of information.

The 15th Century: An Era of Change

Europe faced significant changes:

  • The Great Schism divided the Church with two simultaneous popes.
  • The Hundred Years’ War ravaged Europe, primarily involving England and France.
  • Spain experienced internal crises in the kingdoms of Castile and Aragon.

Spain’s Transformation:

  • The marriage of Isabel I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon (the Catholic Monarchs) brought political stability.
  • 1492 marked pivotal events: the discovery of America, the end of the Reconquista with the fall of Granada, and the expulsion of the Jews.
  • Trade and cities flourished, consolidating the bourgeoisie.
  • Worldly values like material wealth gained appreciation.
  • Life was no longer seen solely as a path to eternity but also as a source of joy and pleasure.
  • Culture became a status symbol among the wealthy bourgeoisie.
  • Courts and universities replaced monasteries as centers of learning.
  • Humanism, a movement originating in Italy, spread, emphasizing classical Greek and Roman culture.
  • Around 1450, Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press, facilitating the dissemination of knowledge.

Sources of Pre-Renaissance Literature

The humanist movement revived Greco-Roman literature, establishing its authors and works as models. Humanism also revitalized Italian literature, which influenced the rest of Europe.

Italian Influence:

  • Spanish lyrics in the 15th century adopted themes like wealth, fame, and death, prevalent in the works of Italian writers like Boccaccio (1313-1375) and Petrarch (1304-1374).
  • Boccaccio’s Decameron left a lasting impact.
  • Petrarch’s influence, through his songbook, is evident in Renaissance lyrics (16th century).
  • Dante Alighieri’s (1265-1321) Divine Comedy, a narrative poem about a symbolic journey through hell, purgatory, and paradise, influenced Castilian allegorical poetry.

Provençal Poetry:

  • Pre-Renaissance Spanish poets were also influenced by Provençal poetry, which flourished in the 12th and 13th centuries.
  • The theme of “courtly love,” a literary game centered on the beloved, was characteristic of this style.
  • This ideal of love persisted in much of the 15th-century poetry.

Pre-Renaissance Literature: Characteristics

Pre-Renaissance literature, mirroring societal changes, exhibited distinct features:

  • Authors took pride in their work and signed their writings, contrasting with the anonymity common in medieval literature.
  • There was a departure from the religious didacticism of previous centuries.
  • The figure of the courtly writer emerged—a nobleman dedicated to both arms and letters.

Learned Poetry

Two main trends characterized 15th-century learned poetry:

  • Cancionero Poetry: conceived love as a courtly and literary game. The poet acted as a servant to his lady, composing verses adorned with ingenuity and conceptual development.
  • Allegorical Poetry: addressed philosophical themes like wealth, fame, and death in a sophisticated and artificial style. Notable figures include the Marquis de Santillana, author of the Comedieta de Ponza, and Juan de Mena, creator of the Labyrinth of Fortune.

Beyond these trends:

  • The most significant poetry of the century: The Songs of Jorge Manrique.

Popular Poetry: The Romances

Chansons de geste fragmented over time, possibly due to the public’s preference for specific episodes. A new poetic form emerged: the romances (ballads).

  • Romances are poems with an indefinite number of eight-syllable lines, using assonance rhyme in pairs.
  • They are characterized by expressive concentration and dramatic appeal.
  • Dialogue and monologue are common techniques.

Theater Until the 15th Century

Before the 15th century, Castilian theatrical texts were scarce.

  • The oldest surviving text is the Auto de los Reyes Magos (Play of the Magi) from the 12th century.
  • Medieval theater included liturgical dramas (short dramatizations of parts of the Mass) and farcical, satirical plays.
  • 15th-century authors like Gomez Manrique, Juan del Encina, and Lucas Fernandez wrote religious dramas and secular entertainment.
  • The most important dramatic work of this period is Fernando de Rojas’ Celestina, a masterpiece of Castilian literature.