Poems of the Middle Ages Characteristics and different types!

The middle age poems, is a set of narratives that belong to an extensive group of medieval compositions, which were shaped with verse style and poetic characteristics, which are used to express feelings and emotions in different entertainment and parties.

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middle age poems

The poems of the middle ages, covers a complex mixture of compositions that in those medieval times, were used in an outstanding way in moments of tasks and celebrations, and that are also linked to dances, music and singing.

The composition of the poems of the Middle Ages, for the most part with their simple, brief, incredible contents and with assonance rhyme. They maintain the couplets, the triplets and the quarters with a chorus to their compas.

The poems of the medieval age, is a narrative subgenre that is composed in verse and romantic language, which developed in the seventh and eleventh centuries, enjoys a romantic sentimental character, which flourishes in medieval Europe.

In his Homeric narratives, feats were narrated that were directed to a specific hero, or to a society, based on notable events within the history of a people, archaic or cheesy, where the heroes ended up being the icon of the poem. For more relevant information on the subject, access this article. The student from Salamanca

To study the genre of poems of the Middle Ages, the context of today must be taken into account. Considering important elements such as illiteracy, the author's theme, as well as the collective work, the permanence of troubadours and players, elementary factors in this kind of literature.

The fact of exclaiming or expressing poems has a connotation of the desire to express feelings, emotions through the narration of the most relevant events.

Her CARACTERISTICS

In this literary subgenre, it is represented by the following characteristics:

  • Literary messages were disseminated through collective auditions
  • Artistic and anonymous originality
  • oral diffusion
  • Didacticism and morality
  • Troubadours and minstrels. Provençal poets are called troubadours
  • Illiteracy
  • Economic independence
  • The great part is embodied to be recited or sung
  • They depended on orality and music
  • romantic exuberance
  • Diversity in stories

In this part of the article, below with the description of some features to know:

Transmission of messages through collective hearings

For the time, the vast majority of the population was not literate, they also enjoyed economic freedom. As a result, the mission of the Homeric content was not disseminated through individual reading, but as a result of collective auditions.

For this reason, a large part of the medieval narrative was shaped so that it reaches its listeners in recited or sung form, which is why it depended absolutely on the voice, which was executed with musical accompaniment.

This causes them to be copious with romances, which is an epic composition that goes hand in hand with music. The same happens with the role played by the minstrel, the protagonist of the feat, putting the hums of the feat into action, as can be seen in the famous and well-known Poema del Mío Cid.

Artistic and anonymous originality

Regarding this characteristic, the writer estimated the aspect above originality and artistic anonymity, in a way as different as it usually happens in contemporary times. By then, the playwright was looking for support in other writers and in other texts belonging to antiquity, such as: Aristotle, Plato and the sacred scriptures, which establish authority.

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The individual aspect was not valued, so it was completely dissolved. The writers of the epics, in those times, did not take care to place their rubrics within the works; Due to this, the frequent anonymity in this medieval literary genre is evident.

Oral diffusion and versions

When the work was completed, it was delivered to society, which was disclosed through oral expressions. Due to the form of transmission, there was the fact that they generated multiple modifications, normally carried out by minstrels and the general public, which meant that it would end in what is known as a "collective work"; but, it still belonged to the early writer, or equal to one or more of the participating minstrels and the general public. Reason why the existence of a different diversity of versions of the same poem is achieved.

In reference to the subject of poems, you might be interested in this following recommendation with the article entitled Solitudes

Didacticism and morality

The writers of medieval times, whether they were of the ecclesiastical order, as well as laymen, through literature took advantage of the opportunity to achieve a transcendental objective, being the case of showing the individual how to direct their own existence, as established in the beginnings of Christianity, in order to achieve the salvation of his spirit.

Absolutely the medieval scriptures, had a "parable", a precept that frequented to protect religious beliefs, which can be evidenced in the work of Gonzalo de Berceo in his "Miracles of Our Lady", stating that the Virgin gives him the salvation of Life to the fervent ones who beg for mercy.

The scriptures known as profane, still have the intention of protecting the desire to "teach while delighting", evidence can be found in the fables of "El conde Lucanor" by Don Juan Manuel. What is clearly evidenced in this famous narration: The tricksters who made the cloth.

Troubadours and minstrels

The diffusion of the poems of the middle ages were in charge of the Provençal poets and the minstrels, who had the joint responsibility of making them known from town to town.

In this case, the Poema de Mío Cid, a script with great meaning and literary content from medieval times, and the minstrel mester, which translates art or trade in antiquity, especially in medieval times, are used again as an example.

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The troubadours or Provençals were people who dedicated themselves to composition, musicians, performers and reciters of poems, who normally belonged to high society and for that reason their exclusive rites.

While the minstrel hardly acted as a writer. His work was destined only to interpret, to lead an itinerant life in exchange for receiving money. In his activities, he could also share it in the circuses involved in part of the shows such as juggling, mime, balancing and magic, all very well developed with the sole purpose of entertaining the public that attends to enjoy good shows.

These characters fix the works with the pertinent changes for the public to enjoy, which generates a good salary.

Types of medieval poetry

There are several types within medieval poetry, which we will make known to you in this article, starting with:

Lyric poetry

This type of poetry refers to short writings with a loving meaning.

The jarchas: they are typical of Muslim Spain. They are composed of stanzas of five or six lines with a combination of Arabic, Hebrew and Romance, they are expressed in Arabic, known as moaxaja and appear at the end of the poem. Jarchas have existed since the XNUMXth century.

The cantigas de amigo: They are typical of Galicia, and refer to poems composed of various linked stanzas, which means that a line of a stanza is repeated immediately from the next stanza. Their existence has been known since the XNUMXth century.

The Christmas carols: These are short poems, minor art formed with two parts: the chorus and the gloss. The most archaic originated in the fifteenth century.

epic poetry

This type of poetry originated during the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries, they are verses that recount the adventures of a specific hero or a society, they are based on archaic events, which were told in a fair way, at a certain time and moment.

The chansons de geste

According to narrate the great events or known as "deeds" of the heroes when they personified important aspects of society. A significant example can be evidenced in the "Poema de Mío Cid"

the romances

Once it is observed that the songs of the epic, decline in the fourteenth century, romances arise. It is a poem with a variable style, with eight-syllable verses and an assonance rhyme between pairs. The most significant thing in a romance is the essence it contains, which means that what is left over is discarded, with the aim of achieving a poem that is absolutely expressive.

This type of poem has a simple syntax, with an archaic dialect and usual exclamations and questions. You can find many versions of the same type of romance. It can be said that all the romances make up the romancero, which is divided into two parts, namely:

  • Old Romance: Refers to the oldest poems, and those that come from oral custom.
  • New Romance: These are the romances composed by well-known literary.

cultured poetry

These originate before the fifteenth century, appear in:

The mester de clergy, refers to ecclesiastical activities, is used in all narrative poems for teaching purposes, and are composed in the thirteenth and nineteenth centuries. In this type of poetry the frame via is used, which means stanza of Alexandrian verses, of 14 syllables, with a central rest and with rhyme. Among the most distinctive authors with this style are:

Gonzalo de Berceo, from the XNUMXth century, first author and famous name for “Miracles of Our Lady”

The Book of Good Love, by the author Juan Ruiz, Parish Priest of Hita, from the XNUMXth century, a majestic work of the Mester de Clerecía.

XNUMXth century cultured poetry

During this century a great emergence of extravagant poetics is noted; Songbooks resurface, collections of poems.

In this century, the work of the three well-known poets stands out: The Marquis of Santillana, Juan de Mena and Jorge Manrique.


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