Ausiàs March and Tirant lo Blanc: Key Works
Ausiàs March: A Unique Voice in Poetry
Ausiàs March stands as an isolated case in literary history. He rejects the extreme rhetoric of courtly love, recognizing a lack of eloquence and artifice in his own work. He does not boast, but rather presents himself as a poet of genuine love, the only true lover. Ausiàs opposes the troubadours, and critics have noted that he alone knows the truth, departing from the troubadour style, which, for warmth, often trespasses truth.
He primarily uses pure Catalan, with some Provençal influences. He is the first poet to write consistently in Catalan, breaking from the linguistic dominance of Provençal. While he shows a slight influence from Dante and Petrarch, his attitude towards women distances him from the troubadours. He values wisdom, understanding, and intelligence over physical beauty, keeping women within a human dimension. His style is direct and unadorned, uninterested in rhyme or meter. He makes minimal concessions to formal poetic values, avoiding elaborate figures of speech. He favors a natural method in his decasyllabic verse (4+6), using comparisons as a standard resource. His verses are long and encompass entire ideas.
Ausiàs March’s work represents a significant departure, establishing a tradition strongly marked by the use of Catalan in poetry, moving away from Provençal influence. The decisive reason for this shift lies in the highly personal and sincere character of his poetry.
Tirant lo Blanc: A Total Novel
Peruvian novelist Mario Vargas Llosa describes Tirant lo Blanc as a “total novel,” praising Joanot Martorell’s incorporation of multiple aspects of reality into the fiction. This realism, previously discussed, is further emphasized here. Vargas Llosa notes that it is a chivalric, historical, military, social, erotic, and psychological novel—all of these simultaneously, reflecting the complexity of reality itself.
It is a chivalric novel, yet it goes beyond a simple narration of a hero’s fantastic journey. It incorporates elements from the author’s contemporary history. The hero is a remarkable strategist. The novel features a wide variety of relationships, occupying a significant portion of the narrative. It can be considered a work of social customs, displaying the uses and customs of the time, from references to food and clothing to explicit mentions of mercenaries and their salaries. It is sometimes difficult to discern the line between fictional elements and objective reality, particularly concerning the *amneris* (mercenaries), who are portrayed as excellent soldiers.
Martorell creates rich and complex characters, such as the hero and the Empress, alongside more rigid and schematic ones. In conclusion, Martorell crafted a complete work that showcases the many faces of reality, composed of the author’s readings and experiences, presented globally by an omniscient narrator.
Structure of Tirant lo Blanc
- Chapters 1-97: The action takes place in England, where Tirant achieves fame as a knight.
- Chapters 98-114: The action shifts to maritime settings, and Tirant becomes a skilled admiral.
- Chapters 115-297: The story moves to the Byzantine Empire, where the protagonist becomes a victorious leader against the Turks and develops his love for Princess Carmesina.
- Chapters 298-407: Tirant is shipwrecked off the coast of Tunisia, becomes a leader of North African troops, and converts many Saracens.
- Chapters 408-487: Tirant returns to the Byzantine Empire, achieves final victory over the Turks, marries Carmesina, and becomes emperor until his death.
Cervantes’ Praise in *Don Quixote*
Cervantes, in Don Quixote, was careful to mention Tirant lo Blanc, saying: “Give it to me, friend, for I make bold to say that in its style, this is the best book in the world.” (Literal translation of the quote provided in the original text:”Dademele Smither, man, that I do I cuentaque oil sauce in it a treasure to be content and a mine pasatiempo.”)
Language and Style of Tirant lo Blanc
The prose of Tirant lo Blanc exhibits two distinct styles: a formal, rhetorical, and Baroque style, known as “Valencian prose,” used in formal speeches, dialogues, and lamentations; and a vivid, colloquial style reflecting the speech of Valencia, evident in short dialogues and sayings.