Mester de clerecía facts for kids
Mester de Clerecía (pronounced: MESS-ter day clay-ray-SEE-ah) means "Ministry of Clergy." It was a special way of writing poems in Spain during the 13th century. This style was mostly used by educated people, often clerics (church officials). That's why it's called "clerecía."
This writing style was different from another popular style called Mester de Juglaría. While "Mester de Juglaría" was often sung by traveling performers and was usually anonymous, "Mester de Clerecía" was written down. Its authors were known, and their poems followed strict rules.
Contents
What is Mester de Clerecía?
Mester de Clerecía was a type of Spanish literature that focused on serious topics. These included religious stories, historical events, and tales that were like early novels. The poets who wrote in this style were very careful with their words.
How was it written?
The poems were written in a special way called the cuaderna vía (kwah-DER-nah VEE-ah). This means "fourfold way." Each poem was made of stanzas, which are like paragraphs in poetry.
- Each stanza had four lines.
- Every line had 14 syllables.
- The lines in each stanza rhymed with each other. This was called a consonantal rhyme.
- This careful structure was borrowed from France. It was popular in Spain until the late 1300s.
What were the main ideas?
Two big ideas set Mester de Clerecía apart from other poetry:
- Teaching: These poems often wanted to teach people something. They shared moral lessons or religious ideas.
- Learning: The poets were educated. They used their knowledge to write detailed and well-crafted poems.
Famous Mester de Clerecía Poets
Some of the most well-known poets of this time created amazing works using the Mester de Clerecía style.
Gonzalo de Berceo
Gonzalo de Berceo was a Castilian priest and poet. He is one of the most important writers of Mester de Clerecía. All of his poems were about religious topics.
- His famous work, Milagros de Nuestra Señora, tells stories about miracles performed by the Virgin Mary.
- Another well-known poem is Vida de Santa Oria, which is about the life of a saint.
Arcipreste de Hita
Juan Ruíz, also known as the Arcipreste de Hita (meaning "Archpriest of Hita"), was a poet from the 14th century. He also used the cuaderna vía in parts of his famous book.
- His most famous work is Libro de buen amor (Book of Good Love).
- He sometimes used lines with 16 syllables, which was a new idea at the time.
Anonymous Works
Not all Mester de Clerecía works have a known author. The Poema de Fernán González is a great example of an anonymous poem written in this style.
See also
In Spanish: Mester de clerecía para niños
