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

Romanticism

Romanticism was a reaction against Neoclassicism's emphasis on reason and rhetorical style. It prioritized emotional expression and explored themes of individualism, nature, and the sublime.

Principal Authors of Romanticism

• Lord Byron: Expressed rebellion and weariness.
• Goethe: Known for his novel The Sorrows of Young Werther.
• José de Espronceda: Composed long poems and songs.
• Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer: Author of Rhymes and Legends.
• Mariano José de Larra: Depicted Spanish situations.
• José Zorrilla: Wrote Don Juan Tenorio.

Romantic Poetry

Romantic poetry often employed rhetorical language and explored two main forms:

• Lyrical: Expressed personal sentiments and the poet's perspective, exemplified by José de Espronceda and Bécquer.
• Narrative:

The Dome of Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence

The dome has a very elegant design achieved from the smart curvature of the white marble ribs. The ascents to the ribs come together to give way to a stylized lantern designed by Brunelleschi. The red-tiled dome is covered on a drum of marble stone, coated with a circular window on each side, resembling an eye.

The success was so great that it became a distinctive element of Renaissance churches. The projecting dome of St. Paul was inspired by this, as his older sister wanted to create something equally beautiful. For five centuries, both Europe and America have produced solutions inspired by Brunelleschi.

Palazzo Rucellai by Leon Battista Alberti

The facade's articulation is achieved by starting an innovative... Continue reading "Exploring the Architectural Marvels of Florence" »

Humanism

Humanism is a mindset that originated in Italy during the fifteenth century.

Characteristics

• The focus shifts to humankind, emphasizing human potential and achievements.
• Inspiration from Greco-Latin culture, leading to a rebirth (Renaissance) and the use of mythology.
• Interest in science and technology.
• Use of vernacular languages (Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, etc.).

The Printing Press

In the fifteenth century, Gutenberg's invention of the printing press revolutionized the dissemination of ideas. It facilitated the spread of humanist thought, making books more accessible and transforming typography.

Religious Reform: Lutheranism

Widespread discontent with the corrupt practices of the Church led to calls for reform. Erasmus of Rotterdam... Continue reading "Renaissance Humanism: Origins, Impacts, and Key Figures" »

Match of the Stories

*Ana Pelegrin*

There are 1000 ways to classify stories. Here are some:

1. Tales of Tradition

These have been passed down orally from generation to generation. At some point, different authors throughout history gave them written form. This is how many stories have come to us.

2. Current Stories

These are stories that authors write to target children. Nobody can change their content.

Classes of Traditional Tales

• Formula Tales: Their structure is a formula. This means that in these cases, there is no minimum division of the story.
  • Turn-on Tales: Right at the beginning is the ending. Their formula is to open and close the story; the rest is free to the imagination.
  • Never-Ending Tales: Their structure is also a formula that allows

Spanish Word Distinctions (Tilde Diacrítica)

Understanding accent marks (tildes) is crucial for distinguishing words in Spanish:

• él (pron. personal: he) vs. el (artículo: the)
• tú (pron. personal: you) vs. tu (adjetivo posesivo: your)
• mí (pron. personal: me) vs. mi (adjetivo posesivo: my)
• te (pron. personal: you) vs. té (sustantivo: tea)
• más (adv./sustantivo: more) vs. mas (conjunción adversativa: but)
• sí (adv. afirmación/pron.: yes, oneself) vs. si (conjunción/nota musical: if, B)
• sé (verbo saber/ser: I know / be) vs. se (pron.: oneself, himself, etc.)
• o (conjunción: or) - Note: The accent on 'ó' between numbers is no longer used by the RAE.
• dé (verbo dar: give) vs. de (preposición: of, from)
• Interrogative/Exclamative vs. Relative/Conjunction:

Are the dominant genres of comedy and drama escape political or ideological, two trends that are maintained in the subsequent stage. The theater comedy: humor intellectualized; Jardiel Poncela is a novelist and playwright. His theater is based on a nonsensical humor, ironic, unsentimental, futuristic, avant-garde roots. Conceives of drama as the realm of absurd situations implausible chains with atypical characters and humorous dialogues very intellectualized that foreshadow a critical view of reality. Heloise is under an almond / Miguel Mihura wrote plays and screenplays. His humor is based on the dislocation of language. Exhibits a different vision of society free from prejudice characters and marginal, faced with a world corny and conventional,... Continue reading "Spanish Theater: Comedy, Drama, and Social Commentary" »

The Art of Persuasion in Advertising

Advertising is the art of convincing or persuading the recipient to purchase certain goods, services, or ideas. This is achieved through a combined argumentative load with several intentions:

• Appellate function: The issuer calls attention to the recipient or wants to act on their conduct (e.g., "Waiter, a beer!").
• Referential function: The issuer indicates an objective fact, without expressing their feelings or trying to provoke a reaction in the recipient (e.g., "Today is Monday.").
• Poetic function: Language plays a role when its order is to call attention to itself, on how to say things (e.g., "Three Trapped Tigers").

To disclose a product, the following process should be followed:

In creating advertisements,... Continue reading "Mastering Advertising: Art, Techniques, and Impact" »

Benito Pérez Galdós and Spanish Realism

Realism was an artistic current that proposed to represent reality faithfully and with verisimilitude. It began in France with authors such as Balzac, Stendhal, and Flaubert. Later, it triumphed in England with Dickens, and in Russia with Tolstoy and Dostoevsky. In Spain, it started in the 1870s and developed from 1880 onwards, in the historical context of the First Republic and the Restoration, amidst a certain economic development. This improvement in material conditions enhanced the growth of cities and the development of the urban bourgeoisie, in their usual contrast of wealth with the uneducated masses, first championed by socialist and anarchist workers' movements. The most relevant schools of... Continue reading "Benito Pérez Galdós: Realism in 19th Century Spain" »

Realism and Naturalism

Characteristics of Realism

• Rejection of romantic individualism in favor of society.
• Focus on everyday life instead of romantic escapism.
• Analysis of environments and social groups, contrasting individual feelings and emotions.
• Desire for objectivity in contrast to romantic subjectivity.

Naturalism

Zola aimed to make the novel a true science of human behavior, studying society. The lowest and most base aspects of human reality became the subject of the naturalistic novel.

In Spain, Emilia Pardo Bazán disseminated naturalism through a series of articles on literary criticism, "pounding the question." Naturalism influenced Pardo Bazán, Galdós, Clarín, and Blasco Ibáñez.

The Realistic Novel

• STEPS:
  1. Prereality: "The Seagull" by