Sexual Imagery as Unifying Factor in Razón de amor y los denuestos del agua y el vino

Abstract

This article argues that Razón de amor con los denuestos de agua y el vino merges ideas from sentimental romance, courtly love poetry, Christian and classical imagery, and goliardic song to create a unified poem whose orientation is singularly sexual. While some critics have hinted at the sexual nature of the encounter between the two lovers and the subsequent debate between water and wine, a systematic reading of the images shows that the two sections of the poem follow a similar trajectory. They are, in fact, two versions of the same story, namely the sexual union of the poet/lover and his lady. The multi-layered narrative voices — the singer who introduces the poem and its poet, the poet/lover in the garden scene, and the personified voices of water and wine — present different perspectives on the themes of desire and sexual fulfilment. The anonymous poet manipulates the mystery and power of sexual attraction and its consummation in a unique blending of literary traditions.