Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and exercises for Latin for Baccalaureate

Luis de Góngora

Along with the popular tradition, classical or Petrarchan, Góngora created the most innovative poetic language of the time. His difficult and minority-focused production led to both rejection and fiery polemics, as well as admiration and followers among his readers.

Poetry

Minor art and poetry of Petrarchan poetry:

• Minor Art: Letrillas, romances, and, above all, satirical and burlesque works.
• Sonnets: Themes of love and encouragement to enjoy life in the Petrarchan line, although amended by the consciousness of time. Others are comical, and a third group deals with disappointment and the transience of life.
• Major Poems: Fable of Polyphemus and Galatea, and Solitudes. Polyphemus is based on the version offered by Ovid. Its main

Poetry as a Literary Genre

Lyric Poetry: An Introduction

Lyric poetry is any poetic composition in which the author expresses their feelings subjectively. Written in both verse and poetic prose, it aims to create a connotative, evocative, and polysemous world. The result is a well-developed piece, full of artifice and expressive density.

The Language of Lyric Poetry

Three lyrical attitudes exist between reality (matter) and the poet:

• Lyrical Emotion: The poet's external reality inspires the composition.
• Lyrical Apostrophe: The poet addresses a "you" that is the constant reference of the poem, engaging in lyrical dialogue.
• Language of the Song: The author, attentive only to their ego, presents their vision of reality or their inner world. This is the

Spanish Courtly Song Tradition (Cancioneros)

The theme songs, or courtly lyrics, represent diverse compositions by poets associated with the royal court, compiled in comprehensive anthologies known as cancioneros. These works mark a shift where Castilian Spanish replaced Galician-Portuguese as the dominant language for lyric poetry. The most significant collections include:

• Cancionero de Baena
• Cancionero de Estúñiga
• Cancionero de Palacio

Common Themes in Cancionero Poetry

• Courtly Love: Describes the suffering endured by a knight or poet due to separation from his beloved, who is typically a married lady of higher social standing.
• Satire: Includes social commentary (e.g., the allegorical Dance of Death) and political criticism, often targeting members

Style, Language, and Literary Devices

The style of the work is characterized by simplicity, sobriety, and expressiveness of its language. The narrative structure masterfully combines narrative with description and dialogue.

Epic Procedures Used in the Poem

The poem utilizes common epic procedures, including:

• Appeals to the Audience: Expressions that demand the public's attention and connect them closely to the story (e.g., “You shall hear what happened”).
• Epic Epithets: Used to characterize the main figures (e.g., “El Cid, who in good hour cinxo sword,” or “the venerable bearded one”).
• Minstrel Assessments: Direct evaluations by the narrator about characters or situations (e.g., “God, how beautiful!”).
• Descriptive Lists.

Compared to...

Jorge Manrique's Coplas: Themes and Legacy

Jorge Manrique's Coplas por la muerte de su padre (Stanzas on the Death of His Father) is a profound work that reflects on the equality of all before death, the transience of earthly life, the vanity of worldly possessions, and contempt for the material world.

Key Themes in the Coplas

• The Three Lives Concept: Manrique distinguishes between:
  • Earthly Life: Fleeting and subject to decay.
  • Life of Fame (Fama): A medieval topic, where the poet uses examples of famous people and historical events to demonstrate the ephemeral nature of earthly glory and reputation.
  • Eternal Life: This ultimately transcends both earthly life and fame, offering true permanence.
• Acceptance of Death: The work concludes with Don Rodrigo'

Critique of Chivalry Novels in Don Quixote

With the purpose of criticizing the novels of chivalry, Miguel de Cervantes wrote his best work, The Ingenious Hidalgo Don Quixote de la Mancha. Part 1 was published in 1605, and Part 2 in 1615.

Plot Summary

Part One

Cervantes, driven mad by reading chivalric novels, becomes Alonso Quijano, who decides to become a knight in the real world. He chooses a beloved (Dulcinea) and a meager horse (Rocinante) and starts his first outing. He is dubbed a knight in a roadside inn, which he mistakes for a castle, along with other illusions. He returns home to find a squire, the peasant Sancho Panza, to whom he promises the government of an island. In the second exit, both protagonists experience disastrous adventures;...

Gabriel García Márquez's Masterpiece

This text offers commentary on Chronicle of a Death Foretold, written by Gabriel García Márquez. It is one of the most popular of all his works. Gabriel García Márquez won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1982 and is one of the leading representatives of the so-called "boom" in Latin American Literature. Chronicle of a Death Foretold was published in 1981 and has many of the features that characterize this movement, such as magical realism.

Narrative Structure

In analyzing the structure, one must determine if the narrator is acting as a narrator-witness (first person) or is merely a chronicler collecting the testimonies of others (direct, indirect, free indirect).

Narrative Attitude and Style

The attitude...

Introduction to Post-Romanticism

In the last third of the 19th century, a reaction against the post-Romantic idealistic type emerged. Writers rebelled against bourgeois values and customs (business, money, fame) and chose a more marginal way of life (alcohol, drugs) as a rejection of the society to which they belonged. They were drawn to the bohemian lifestyle, a model based on rebellion and freedom, which had two faces: the dandy and the cursed. Writers believed that the ultimate aim of art should be beauty. With them, contemporary art and artists were born. Post-Romanticism had its maximum splendor in France, giving rise to two poetic movements: Parnassianism and Symbolism.

Parnassianism

Focused on the theme of art for art's sake, Parnassian

Celestina: A Masterpiece of Spanish Literature

Celestina is a masterpiece of literature, written in the late fifteenth century and achieving success in the sixteenth century.

Authorship

The authorship is a subject of debate. The accepted theory suggests two authors. One author wrote the first act, and Fernando de Rojas wrote the rest.

Title Variations

Early editions were titled Calisto and Melibea, but in the sixteenth century, the title changed to Tragicomedy of Callisto and Melibea.

Plot Summary

Callisto, a nobleman, encounters Melibea and becomes infatuated, but she rejects him. Callisto, through his servants, employs a procuress named Celestina. Through her deceptions and spells, Celestina changes Melibea's feelings. Celestina secures her commission...

The Trial of Paris

Aphrodite appears alongside Hera and Athena. Two cherubs accompany her. Eris, angered by not being invited to a wedding, sows discord among the guests. Zeus decides to let Paris, a young Trojan prince, choose the most beautiful goddess. Hermes, the messenger god, presents Paris with the apple of discord.

Perseus and Andromeda

Perseus and his mother, Danae, are saved and find refuge in a kingdom. The king desires Danae, but Perseus, aided by Athena and Hermes, defeats the king. On his journey, Perseus rescues Andromeda from a monstrous dragon. The two cherubs symbolize their love. Upon returning, Perseus uses Medusa's head to turn the king to stone. He then founds Mycenae.

Diana and Callisto

Callisto, a nymph, becomes pregnant...