Este trabajo propone una relectura de las tan conocidas estrofas del tópico del "Ubi sunt" en las Coplas de Jorge Manrique. A partir de la primera estrofa que introduce el tópico, es decir, la estrofa que pregunta por el rey Don Juan II de Castilla, se intenta reconstruir el "horizonte de expectativas" de los primitivos lectores. Tal intento se funda en las ideas de Hans Robert Jauss y busca ir más allá de considerar que a través del "Ubi sunt" se desea retratar sensorialmente esa Castilla. La lectura que se propone busca la configuración política de ese momento. Para ello, se revisan dos crónicas y se dan datos al respecto.This article is an invitation to re-read the well-known stanzas from the point of the "Ubi Sunt" in Jorge Manrique's Coplas. There is an attempt to re-build the "horizon of expectations" of the former readers, starting from the first stanza that introduces the point, i.e. the stanza that asks for the King, Don Juan de Castilla. This attempt is based on Hans Robert Jauss' principles, and it also seeks to get beyond the considerations that by means of the "Ubi Sunt" there is a wish of a sensorial portrait of Castilla.The suggested reading searchs for the political configuration of theepoch. For that purpose, two chronicles are revised and related additional information is provided.