Spanish Medieval Poetry: Juan Ruiz & Jorge Manrique
POEMS
Juan Ruiz
Considered the first lyric poet in Castilian, alongside Berceo, and a key figure of the Mester de Clerecía. His only surviving work is the Book of Good Love, though his production was likely more extensive. This book reflects 14th-century society, including tensions between the emerging bourgeoisie and the nobility. The work, comprising 1728 stanzas, presents an autobiographical narrative that explores the risks of passionate love. The Dean, as protagonist, navigates a world of heterogeneous religious poems and adventure stories, unified by the autobiographical self and the figure of a procuress who aids him in his amorous pursuits. Juan Ruiz’s rich language incorporates techniques from religious sermons, blending colloquial and formal registers, and juxtaposing serious and humorous tones. The author’s intention remains debated, oscillating between didactic and cynical interpretations. While seemingly moralizing, the Dean’s life of debauchery and sin suggests a satirical critique of his era. This work’s modern characteristic lies in its openness to interpretation.
Jorge Manrique
Considered one of the greatest 15th-century poets, known for his Verses on the Death of His Father, a work praised by renowned poets. In these verses, Manrique exalts his late father, Don Rodrigo Manrique, portraying him as a hero calmly facing death. The poem is notable for its formal sobriety and thematic complexity.
Themes
- Death: The central motif, prompting reflections on life’s fleeting nature and the yearning for the past.
- Fame: Offers hope for something enduring beyond earthly life, reflecting 15th-century Spanish pre-Renaissance ideals.
Structure
The work’s first two parts address the imminence of death, while the latter explores fame and eternal life.
Metric Form
Consists of 40 stanzas in the *coplas manriqueñas* meter.
Importance of Couplets
The poem is an elegy. Manrique draws on medieval traditions of death and imbues them with new linguistic expression, both metrically and formally.