114:, where he appears to have fulfilled the requirements for the Master of Arts degree. He then traveled to Rome, perhaps as a continued part of his education, although there is no evidence that he participated in formal study there. During this trip and a later one to Florence, Mena appears to have been seeking ecclesiastical benefices; however, both attempts were fruitless and each was followed by a marriage, first to a supposed sister of García y Lope de Vaca and, secondly, to Marina Méndez, more than 20 years his minor. Neither marriage resulted in descendants for the poet. Some scholars have pointed to a possible
222:, The Coronation, 1438) and dedicated it to Íñigo López de Mendoza, marqués de Santillana (marquis of Santillana), in response to the latter's 1438 victory on the frontier between Muslim and Christian Spain, which resulted in the taking of Huelma. Although a relatively minor victory, it was the first successful campaign of the
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that his influence began to wane in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and fell out of favor with nineteenth-century critics. Modern critics have reinstated Mena's importance to Spain's literary history and consider him to be one of the three major poets of the fifteenth century, along with
301:, satirical pieces, and exchanges with other poets. The minor lyrics are far less complex than his major works in both style and content. His love poetry was well respected for its originality and treatment of the nature of love's passion as an abstract, intellectual experience.
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Juan de Mena included extensive commentary, in highly ornamental and
Latinate prose. The commentary addresses each stanza and explains mythological references, as well as the poem's moral-allegorical function. Such commentary was ordinarily reserved for the Classics.
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since 1431. The poem consists of 51 stanzas recounting a dream sequence in which the poet first sees historical and mythological figures being punished for their vices or their failure to act, and later sees those figures who have earned a place on
179:, such as those of Hernán Núñez (1499) and Francisco Sánchez de las Brozas (1582), provide further evidence of the extent of his literary influence in Spain. His style is marked by its frequent use of
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195:, Mena helped stretch the capabilities of a fledgling Castilian literary tradition, paving the way for later poets. It is largely due to the awkwardness and weight of his style and
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was greatly admired. His activities at the court of Juan II brought him into contact with many important figures; the most significant friendship that resulted was with
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and national unity as the principal themes of the poem; one of Mena's lesson seems to be that internal strife is a vice that hinders the
Christian reconquest of Spain.
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In addition to his moral-political works, Mena also produced more traditional courtly poetry. There are fifty or so surviving examples of Mena's
269:("Labyrinth of Fortune", 1444) is Mena's masterpiece. The structure of the poem is a mixture of two popular medieval allegorical elements: the
80:, his father died shortly after his birth, and his mother a few years later. He was likely the second of two sons and was related to a former
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of
Hernando del Castillo, and his works were well known throughout the sixteenth century, influencing later Spanish poets, such as
277:. The structure of the poem centers around three Wheels of Fortune (past, present and future). The 297 stanza poem (also known as
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40:(1411–1456) was one of the most significant Spanish poets of the fifteenth century. He was highly regarded at the court of
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in nature and corresponds to Mena's idea of satire in that it condemns vice and praises virtue. It is possible to interpret the
281:(The Three Hundred), as there are versions with three additional stanzas) reintroduces the themes of national unity and the
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origin for Mena's family, but others have found these claims to be highly speculative. Mena continued in the role of
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There is scant evidence about the early part of Mena's life, but most modern scholars agree that he was born at
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358:, 1400–1500. Edited by Frank A. Domínguez and George D. Greenia. Vol. 286. Detroit, MI: Gale, 2004. 109–126.
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Crosas López, Francisco: La materia clásica en la poesía de cancionero. Kassel: Ed. Reichenberger, 1995.
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Although
Santillana was also well known as a poet, he is praised in the poem as an exemplar of the four
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Mena was considered by his contemporaries to be the outstanding poet of his time, and his knowledge of
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for their virtues; principal among those praised is the marqués de
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325:(Treatise on the Title of Duke, 1445), a prologue to Álvaro de Luna's
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345:(An Account of Some Lineages, 1448) are also attributed to de Mena.
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in 1456, although he apparently did not write any chronicle.
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and place him in the period of transition in Spain from the
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56:(royal chronicler). His works show the influence of
421:. Vol. 18 (11th ed.). 1911. p. 107.
23:Juan de Mena, engraving of a Zaragoza's edition (
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354:Gericke, Philip O.: "Juan de Mena (1411–1456)."
333:(Stanzas on the Deadly Sins, unfinished, 1456).
329:(Book of Virtuous and Illustrious Women), and
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48:(one of twenty-four aldermen) of Córdoba,
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155:His poetry frequently appeared in
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443:Rines, George Edwin, ed. (1920).
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405:in Spanish at Cervantes Virtual
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363:Bulletin hispanique
169:Fernando de Herrera
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94:La Montaña
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