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

Classical Deities and Attributes

Zeus / Jupiter:

sovereignty over all the universe. Crown, Eagle, ray, scepter.

Poseidon / Neptune:

sovereignty over the waters. Crown, trident, chariot and hippocampus, newts, trident, dolphin.

Hera / Juno:

Queen of Olympus, protector of marriage and parties. Crown, scepter, peacock, pomegranate.

Hades / Pluto:

sovereignty over the subterranean world. Chariot + black horses, ivory throne, scepter, horn of abundance.

Demeter / Ceres:

protector of agriculture. Ear of wheat, sickle, torch.

Athena / Minerva:

protector of intelligence, some arts (philosophy, literature, and crafts) and war (for justice). Helmet, spear, Aegis, armor, owl, olive, winged victory.

Hestia / Vesta:

protector of the family, home, and State. Flame of

Luis de Góngora: Poetic Works

The poetry of Góngora practiced minor art and Petrarchist poetry. He explored various subjects, treating them with a high approach or parody.

Minor Art Poetry

• Growing Moorish ballads, pastoral, historical, and burlesque.

Sonnets

• The theme is loving, inciting the Petrarchist line, though modified by the consciousness of time.
• Others are burlesque.
• A third group addresses disappointment and the transience of life.

Major Poems

• Fable of Polyphemus and Galatea
• Soledades

Lope de Vega: Poetic Works

Lope de Vega was a man of extraordinary creative capacity in narrative, theater, and literature.

Romances

Lope was one of the creators of the new romance. He developed Moorish, pastoral, and loving romances. In his old age, religious and...

El Libro de Buen Amor: A 14th-Century Masterpiece

Mester de Clerecía continues into the 14th century. The great work written in this period is El Libro de Buen Amor by the Archpriest of Hita. This name has been used since the early 20th century for a work composed of 1728 verses, originally known as the Archpriest's work. Ramón Menéndez Pidal was the philologist who proposed the new title due to the frequent use of the phrase 'buen amor' (good love) within the text.

Authorship and Versions

Two surviving versions of the work exist: one from the year 1330 and another from 1343. The latter is considered the definitive version. The author provides limited data about himself; it is known that Juan Ruiz was his name, and he was an archpriest in the...

The Generation of '27: A Literary Movement

The Generation of '27 was a highly influential group of Spanish poets who emerged in the 1920s. They are celebrated for their profound impact on 20th-century Spanish literature, blending traditional forms with avant-garde innovations. This collective, though diverse in style, was united by strong personal friendships, shared literary ideals, and a common vision for poetry.

Key Poets of the Generation of '27

• Pedro Salinas

  A university professor whose poetry was his very essence. A poet who, despite expressing deep emotional feelings, did so with a very rational form.

• Jorge Guillén

  Maintained a lifelong commitment to pure poetry, focusing on the beauty and precision of language.

• Gerardo Diego

  His work showcases

The Generation of '27 After the Spanish Civil War

The poets of the Generation of '27 first introduced new human themes, such as love. Some poets, driven by social concerns, became interested in politics. After the Civil War, the poetic group fractured. Federico García Lorca was shot in 1936, and the rest of the group dispersed. The exiled poets included Luis Cernuda, Rafael Alberti, Pedro Salinas, and Jorge Guillén. In their production, the subject of the lost homeland appears repeatedly.

In Spain, only Gerardo Diego, Dámaso Alonso, and Vicente Aleixandre remained, writing poetry focused on existential anguish.

Jorge Guillén

Work: Aire Nuestro

Guillén's major work, Aire Nuestro, mirrors the life and work of Juan Ramón Jiménez. This extensive...

Miguel Hernández and Nature

He was always in direct contact with nature, as a child. Born in Orihuela, near the mountains, this direct influence meant that the tree, lightning, or bird became everyday elements of his poetry. His work as a shepherd led to a profound and direct knowledge of natural life, which was a great source of inspiration for our poet-shepherd. Miguel Hernández managed to transmit his love of nature, the beauty of things, and his joy for a full life, becoming a perfect symbiosis between man and environment.

Miguel will be known forever as the poeta-pastor, a descriptor that accompanied him all his life and of which he was proud.

Since his first stage, we see constant references to issues related to the countryside, flora,...

Garcilaso de la Vega

Garcilaso de la Vega embodies the model of the Renaissance man. Of noble origin, he was a poet-soldier whose life was marked by Emperor Charles V. He met Isabel Freyre, who inspiró many of his love poems. His interest in education was that of a humanist: he knew Greek and Latin, and had read Italian Renaissance poets. He died at 36 years old.

Works

His brief but significant work highlights his sonnets and three Eclogues:

• Égloga I: The most valued, where the shepherds Salicio and Nemoroso express their complaints in a gentle, bucolic natural setting. Salicio laments the disdain of his lady Galatea, while Nemoroso mourns Elisa. Both shepherds represent Garcilaso himself, singing to his beloved in life and after death.
• Égloga

Petrarch

Petrarch, a fourteenth-century Italian poet, who embodies like no other the characteristics and ideals of humanism. He wrote several works of humanistic inspiration. His most famous work is entitled Rerum vulgarium fragmenta, known by the name of Canzoniere. His Triumphs is an allegorical poem composed in terza rima and consists of 6 parts of very uneven length.

Petrarch's Canzoniere

This consists of over 350 poems on the theme of love. The first part deals with the anguish experienced by the poet in love. He was imitated in Spain by the Marqués de Santillana, Ausiàs March, Juan Boscán, and Garcilaso de la Vega.

Petrarchism

• Traditions: (medieval courtly love)
• Classical Resources: (incorporating many motifs, similes, comparisons, and expressions

The Generation of '27: Key Traits

The Generation of '27 is defined by the birth dates of local poets, their deep bonds of friendship, and a shared influence across cultures. In 1927, the group met to commemorate the tercentenary of the death of Góngora. Between 1927 and 1928, the movement saw the publication of its most significant magazines and books.

Prominent Members

• Pedro Salinas and Jorge Guillén
• Gerardo Diego and Federico García Lorca
• Rafael Alberti and Luis Cernuda
• Vicente Aleixandre and Emilio Prados
• Manuel Altolaguirre and Dámaso Alonso

Avant-Garde and Tradition

With a cosmopolitan outlook and openness to European contributions, the poets of '27 valued the past while rescuing technical mastery. They integrated various styles, ranging from...

Generation of '27: Commemoration and Friendship

The Generation of '27, also called the '27 Generation of Friendship, shared a strong bond and a progressive spirit. Most members were Andalusians, though they later lived in Madrid. They were closely linked to the Residencia de Estudiantes in Madrid, sharing intellectual curiosity, deep culture, and great enthusiasm.

Poetic Trajectory: Tradition and Vanguard

The work of these poets moved between tradition and the avant-garde. They moved away from purely traditional poetry while incorporating avant-garde elements. They also drew influences from the Renaissance and Baroque periods, from figures like Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer, Rubén Darío, and especially Juan Ramón Jiménez. The vanguards they embraced...