Ribanje i ribarsko prigovaranje Petra Hektorovića (napisano 1556. godine) te Pelegrin Mavra Vetranovića (napisan sredinom XVI. stoljeća) dva su klasična spjeva hrvatske renesansne književnosti koji se unutar toga korpusa mogu izdvojiti kao ponajvažniji primjeri tekstova koje su napisali autori u staroj dobi. Za opis posebnosti tekstova koji proizlaze iz vizure starih autora uvodi se pojam poznoga djela. U njem su idealno prisutne tri karakteristike: a) kasni stil, b) narativno i/ili životno putovanje i iskustvo, c) estetska tenzija. U slučaju oba spjeva zadovoljavaju se sve tri odrednice, budući da su tekstualno izrazito višeznačni (pogotovo Pelegrin) te višeslojni (pogotovo Ribanje), što se uklapa u opću predodžbu kasnoga stila. Oba teksta temelje se na putovanju protagonista, što upućuje na drugu karakteristiku poznoga djela, iako protagonisti temu životnoga iskustva prizivaju na različite načine. Međuodnos obje prethodne odrednice dovodi i do određene estetske tenzije u poznom djelu, što se pokazuje uz oslonac na rad Edwarda Saida o umjetničkom stavaranju u starosti., Ribanje i ribarsko prigovaranje by Petar Hektorović (written in 1556) and Pelegrin by Mavro Vetranović (written in mid-16th century) are two long poems that may be singled out as the most important examples of texts written by old authors within classical Croatian Rennaisance literature. The term „venerable work” is introduced in order to describe the specific nature of a text envisioned by an author writing in his old age. This term ideally encompasses three traits: a) late style, b) narrative and/or life journey and experience, c) aesthetic tension. Both poems possess all three as they are textually quite ambigious (especially Pelegrin) and multilayered (especially Ribanje), which is part and parcel of the general idea of late style. Both texts are based on their protagonist’s journey, which points to the second characteristic of a venerable work, although both of them evoke the topic of life experience in different ways. The interplay of both of these characteristics also creates a certain aesthetic tension in a venerable work, which is demonstrated with the aid of remarks made by Edward Said on artistic creation in old age.