Literary Forms, Genres, and Medieval Literary Traditions
Literary Language and Genres: Forms and Structures
The Artistic Use of Language: Oral and Written
Literary language encompasses both oral and written forms, employing distinct methods for presenting text.
Prose vs. Verse: Fundamental Textual Structures
Prose: Continuous Flow and Syntactic Repetition
- Continuous Form: Text flows without line breaks based on metrical patterns.
- Syntactic Repetition: Ideas are often reinforced through repeated syntactic structures.
- Closeness to Spoken Language: Generally considered closer to natural speech patterns.
Verse: Rhythm, Concentration, and Literary Devices
Verse separates text into smaller units, known as verses, giving them greater prominence. It offers a more pronounced effect than prose due to:
- Rhythm and Pause: Distinct rhythm and pauses between verses.
- Word Reproduction: Emphasis on the sound and reproduction of words.
- Concentration of Ideas: Ideas are often condensed and impactful.
- Sound and Accent: Greater attention to sound, accents, and musicality.
- Literary Devices: Increased presence of literary artifacts and devices such as metaphors, comparisons, and specific measurements.
Verse Measurement and Structure
Understanding verse involves specific rules for measurement and structure:
- Syllable Count:
- Acute ending word: +1 syllable.
- Esdrújula (proparoxytone) ending word: -1 syllable.
- Phonetic Phenomena:
- Sinalefa: Merging of two vowels from different words into one syllable.
- Diaeresis: Separation of two vowels that normally form a diphthong into two syllables.
- Synaeresis: Uniting two vowels that normally form a hiatus into a single syllable.
- Verse Length Classification:
- Arte Mayor: Verses with 8 or more syllables.
- Arte Menor: Verses with fewer than 8 syllables.
- Common Verse Names (by syllable count):
- Disyllabic (2)
- Trisyllabic (3)
- Tetrasyllabic (4)
- Pentasillabic (5)
- Hexasyllabic (6)
- Heptasyllabic (7)
- Octosyllabic (8)
- Enneasyllabic (9)
- Decasyllabic (10)
- Hendecasyllabic (11)
- Dodecasyllabic (12)
- Tridecasyllabic (13)
- Alexandrine (14): A verse of 14 syllables.
- Hemistichs: Verses with more than 11 syllables often feature an internal break, dividing the verse into two hemistichs.
- Free Verse: Poetry without a fixed meter or rhyme scheme.
Types of Rhyme in Poetry
- Assonance Rhyme: Repetition of vowel sounds only.
- Consonance Rhyme: Repetition of both consonant and vowel sounds.
Literary Genres: Categorization and Purpose
Literary genres are categories that group literary texts sharing common features. They serve several purposes:
- Provide readers with a prior idea about the work’s nature.
- Offer authors established patterns and models for composition.
Main Literary Genres and Subgenres
- Narrative Genre (Epic or Epico-Narrative):
- Epic Poem
- Short Story
- Novel
- Lyric Genre:
- Song
- Elegy
- Ode
- Dramatic Genre (Theater):
- Tragedy
- Comedy
- Tragicomedy or Drama
The Middle Ages and Medieval Literary Traditions
The Medieval Period: Characteristics and Society
The Middle Ages, a historical period spanning from the 5th to the 15th century, was characterized by:
- Political Instability: Frequent conflicts and shifting power structures.
- Rigid Social System: A hierarchical society with limited social mobility.
- Strong Religious Presence: Religion, particularly Christianity, permeated all aspects of life.
Medieval Society Structure
Medieval society was broadly divided into three estates:
- Nobility: Inherited land and held military power.
- Clergy: Lived on donations and church lands, holding significant spiritual and intellectual authority.
- Common People: Depended on the king or nobles, working primarily in agriculture, livestock, and crafts.
The medieval mentality was profoundly religious, influencing art, literature, and daily life.
Periods of Medieval Literature
The evolution of society and literary techniques led to the distinction of two main periods within medieval literature:
- Early Medieval Literature: Marked the beginning of literary manifestations, characterized by:
- Oral Transmission: Stories and poems were primarily passed down verbally.
- Anonymity: Authorship was often unknown or not emphasized.
- Didacticism: Literature frequently aimed to teach moral or religious lessons.
- Pre-Renaissance Literature: Signified a shift towards new ways of thinking and literary expression.
Key Literary Forms and Movements of the Middle Ages
Jarchas (10th-11th Centuries)
The earliest known examples of Romance literature, written in Mozarabic. These are short, typically 2-4 (sometimes up to 6) verses, expressing a woman’s lament for her beloved (often using terms like “habibi” or “mamma”). Jarchas served as the concluding stanzas of longer, more complex Arabic or Hebrew compositions called Muwashshahat, which were cultivated and intricate in structure.
Cantigas de Amigo (13th-14th Centuries)
Popular songs from the Galician-Portuguese tradition where, similar to the Jarchas, a woman expresses sorrow at the absence of her beloved. They are notably characterized by the extensive use of parallelism in their verses.
Mester de Juglaría (12th Century)
Literally “the office of minstrels,” this tradition involved itinerant poets and performers who recited narrative poems known as Chansons de Geste (songs of deeds). These poems recounted the heroic acts of historical or legendary figures. Key characteristics include:
- Realism: A focus on believable events and characters.
- Irregular Meter: Verses often varied in length.
- Assonance Rhyme: Predominant use of assonance.
- Epic Formulas: Use of fixed epithets and recurring phrases.
The most significant work of this literary tradition in Spanish literature is the Poema de Mio Cid.
Mester de Clerecía (13th Century)
Literally “the office of the clergy,” this literary movement was cultivated by educated clerics. Its primary characteristics are:
- Didactic Purpose: Aimed to teach moral, religious, or historical lessons.
- Religious Character: Often focused on religious themes, though not exclusively.
- Cuaderna Vía Stanza: Written in stanzas of four Alexandrine (14-syllable) verses with a single consonant rhyme (AAAA).