Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Arts and Humanities

Spanish Literary Movements Before the Civil War

Art Nouveau in Spanish Literature

• Features:
  • Search for beauty, departing from surrounding reality.
  • Great aesthetic renovation: valuable stylistic resources, sensory plots (auditory, visual, tactile).
  • Use of exotic words and cultisms.
• Authors and Works:
  • Valle-Inclán: Sonatas
  • Juan Ramón Jiménez: Platero y yo

Generation of '98: Literary Renewal

• Defense of Subjectivity: A subjective vision of reality, yet a faithful reproduction.
• Artistic Preoccupation: Reflected in the renovation of narrative structures and renewal of style, emphasizing anti-rhetoric, sobriety, clarity, and a taste for traditional words.
• Thematic Groups:
  1. The Issue of Spain: Concern for contemporary evils (backwardness, poverty) and love for

Linguistic Functions

Jakobson's Model

• Poetic: Focuses on the aesthetic qualities of the message itself.
• Emotive: Expresses the sender's emotions (e.g., Greetings!).
• Conative: Aims to elicit a response from the receiver (e.g., regulations, laws).
• Metalinguistic: Refers to the code of language itself (e.g., definitions).
• Phatic: Establishes or maintains the communication channel (e.g., Hello!).
• Referential: Conveys factual information.

Grammar Essentials

Parts of Speech

Nouns

Represent things, places, or animals.

Adjectives

Modify nouns (e.g., some hens, two telephones).

Pronouns

Replace nouns (e.g., I, you, us).

Verbs

Indicate the subject's action.

Adverbs

Modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, indicating place (here, there), time (before, now), manner (quickly)... Continue reading "Linguistic Functions and Grammar Essentials" »

OP: Key figure in the cultural recovery and articulation of nationalism in the 20th century, targeting its production in politics and literature around the Catholic and traditional themes. The historical-culturalist novels concern for interpreting the moments of Western culture is clear in GZ-Europe. There are two notable novels: The Pilgrimage of Avenida (1934) and Fra Verneri (1934). The H-realists have March as the GZ rural S.20. Notable works include: Pantelis, Home Libre (1925), The Meson of Wilderness (1936), The Señorito Reboraina (1960), The Maurotallo (1974), and The Ways of Life (1928). The latter is doubly significant due to the presence of both the natural landscape and the human landscape of rural Galicia. It has three parts:... Continue reading "Cultural Recovery and Nationalism in Portuguese Literature" »

Jorge Guillén: Poetic Rigor and Vital Affirmation

Guillén's poetry employs a rigorous selection process, deleting accessory elements to communicate the essential idea or feeling.

Themes and Style

• Joyous affirmation of being.
• Existence in the reality of love.
• Life formed as vital accomplishment and perfection.
• The necessity of enjoying the present time and surrounding conditions.

Man's Condition

• Man (living at the center of the day).
• Chance (creates insecurity).
• Chaos (suffering).

Features of Guillén's Poetry

• Very condensed and precise language.
• Use of simple syntactic structures.
• Nominal style.
• Use of exclamations and questions that highlight vital sensations.

Major Work: Cántico (1928, 1936, 1945, 1950)

A song to the creation of reality, occurring in different... Continue reading "The Generation of '27: Guillén, Diego, and Aleixandre's Poetics" »

20th-century poetry presents several difficulties due to the aesthetic currents of thought that overlap with dizzying speed. It is difficult to ascribe certain authors to specific movements, as they often evolved throughout their lives.

Celtic Myths and Anglo-Irish Poetry

A serious concern and a deep spiritual love for Irish poetry are maintained, understanding it to be clear and common-use.

T.S. Eliot and Fragmentation

T.S. Eliot, an English poet, received influence from avant-garde movements and French Symbolists like Baudelaire. He employed the technique of the objective correlative, writing a series of disconnected images whose connection the reader must determine, as seen in "The Waste Land."

Rainer Maria Rilke and Germanic Spirituality

Rainer... Continue reading "20th Century Poetry: Movements, Authors, and Key Themes" »

The Age of Realism

Historical Context

The age of Realism has its roots in the revolutionary movement of 1848. The bourgeoisie abandoned the revolutionary spirit, seeking stability and moderation. Industrial growth occurred alongside the rise of great colonial empires in Africa and Asia. In Spain, the bourgeois revolution of 1868 failed, and in 1874 the Bourbon monarchy was restored, beginning the historical period of the Restoration, where the realist novel flourished.

Scientific and Technical Progress

Scientific research made great progress during this era. Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species and The Descent of Man. In the field of technology, the telegraph and steamships emerged.

Realist Literature

The bourgeoisie abandoned Romantic... Continue reading "19th Century Literature: Realism, Naturalism & Romantic Poetry" »

Journalistic Texts

Types of Journalistic Texts

The following are some common types of journalistic texts, categorized by their purpose and style:

• News: An objective account of a fact. The headline highlights the most important aspect of the story.
• Report: An informative text prepared by the newspaper's documentation service.
• Story: Combines information and interpretation, as the journalist presents facts as they have witnessed them.
• Chronicle: Relates current events and provides an analysis of them.
• Interview: The reproduction of a dialogue between a journalist and a person.
• Grandstand: A newspaper article in which a known figure outlines their ideas or opinions on an issue linked to the present.
• Column: An opinion piece signed by a regular newspaper

Social Influence on Gender and Emotions

From a young age, society shapes our understanding of gender and emotions. Societal pressures often encourage women to be more emotional, while men are expected to be more aggressive and physical. This early characterization influences children's play and behavior, with girls often engaging in gentle, emotional games, and boys in more physical and violent ones.

The Anguish of Separateness

Separateness is a source of human anguish, leading to feelings of isolation and helplessness. This isolation can feel like an 'asylum,' preventing genuine connection with others. The story of Adam and Eve illustrates this; upon realizing their nakedness and difference (being of different sexes), they felt shame and guilt,... Continue reading "Societal Impact on Gender, Emotions, and Human Connection" »

Medieval Period (13th and 14th Centuries)

The Medieval period saw advances in the Reconquista and strong literary development, exemplified by Gonzalo de Berceo. This era focused on verse and religious subjects with a didactic purpose.

• Cuaderna Vía: Stanza formed by four monorhyme verses.
• Alexandrine Verse: Verse of fourteen syllables.
• Celestina: Marks a departure from medieval ideals, reflecting the spirit of the time.

Renaissance (16th Century)

The Italian Influence and Realism

The Renaissance, originating in Italy during the 16th century (Siglos de Oro), marked a rebirth of classical learning, emphasizing change, human development, and natural elegance.

• Garcilaso de la Vega: Noble warrior and poet known for his eleven-syllable verse, sonnets, and