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

Post-War Poetry Trends

Post-war poetry published during the conflict did not respond to a uniform style. You can find three main differences:

• 1. Symbolist poetry tradition: Within this trend, we find the poetry of Rosa Leveroni and Joan Vinyoli.
• 2. Avant-garde poetry tradition: Represented by Josep Palau i Fabre and Joan Brossa.
• 3. Realist tradition of poetry: From the 1960s, featuring authors such as Miquel Martí i Pol, Vicent Andrés Estellés, and Salvador Espriu.

1. The Symbolist Tradition

Within this movement, which is characterized by the continuation of styles already cultivated in the first third of the century, we highlight the following authors:

• Bartomeu Rosselló-Pòrcel (1913–1938): Known for his short but high-quality work.
• Rosa Leveroni

Mester de Clerecía: 13th and 14th Centuries

Features of the Mester de Clerecía:

• Oficio of Clergy: Religious profession, worship, and intellectual men.
• Finalidad: Didactic, recreational, and regular artistic purpose.
• Metrics: Tetrástrofo monorrimo or cuaderna vía (notebook via).
• Themes: Religious, epic, romantic, and profane.
• Literary Language: More carefully crafted than minstrelsy, yet simple and natural.
• Transmission: Written transmission; the scholarly literature itself.
• Narrative Genres: Miracles of the Virgin, hagiography, and anonymous epic-romantic poems.
• Representative Authors: The most notable authors are Berceo and Hita.

Gonzalo de Berceo

His writing is narrative and enlivened by colloquial expressions, minstrel-like style, expressive realism,...

Noucentisme (Generation of 1914) - Key Authors

The Essay Genre and Ortega y Gasset

The essay is a genre developed by the Noucentisme authors, including figures like Eugenio d'Ors (Eugenio Manuel d'Ors). However, José Ortega y Gasset stands out, covering topics ranging from philosophy to politics. His major works include The Revolt of the Masses and The Dehumanization of Art. In the latter work, he develops the principles of Renaissance art.

Prominent Noucentisme Authors

Gabriel Miró

His novels are characterized by intellectual art, high lyricism, and minimal action.

Ramón Pérez de Ayala

Known for novels with little action, often closely resembling slightly fictionalized essays.

Ramón Gómez de la Serna and the Avant-Garde

Ramón Gómez de la Serna...

Novecentismo and the Generation of '14

The Novecentismo movement, also known as the Generation of '14, sought to revitalize Spanish art and literature. These authors championed "pure art," an aesthetic detached from Romantic sentimentality. This dehumanized approach, with art existing for its own sake, was a key principle. Philosopher José Ortega y Gasset and Catalan writer Eugeni d'Ors were central figures in this movement.

Poetry

Juan Ramón Jiménez, a prominent poet of this era, saw his work evolve through three distinct phases:

• Sensory Phase: Works like Water Lilies showcase the influence of Modernism, blended with Jiménez's unique poetic voice.
• Intellectual Phase: This period features prose poems like Platero and I, exploring themes of

The Novel and Tale of 20th Century Hispanic Literature

1. Narrative Until the 1940s

This period focused on three main thematic areas:

• Nature and Human Dominion: The attempt by man to dominate nature, often overwhelmed by its grandeur and diversity. Key authors include José Eustasio Rivera, Ricardo Güiraldes, and Rómulo Gallegos.
• Socio-Political Issues: Problems arising from the social circumstances and dictatorships experienced in certain countries. Notable figures are Mariano Azuela and Martín Luis Guzmán. The most famous indigenous novel from this time was Huasipungo by Jorge Icaza.

2. Narrative of the 1940s and 1950s

Narrative work was enriched during this period, overcoming realism through the influence of avant-garde literature and embracing...

Innovators and the Generation of '27

During this period, Spain experienced a decline due to the loss of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. Writers of the time expressed great discontent with the state of Spain. Despite political instability, a literary boom occurred.

The Avant-Garde Movements

The Avant-Garde movements arose, sharing several characteristics. Unlike the past, they rejected realism, sentimentality, reason, logic, and traditional metrics. They embraced free verse, original elements, neologisms, and references to current events.

The Avant-Garde can be divided into two groups:

Optimistic Avant-Garde

• Futurism: Focused on new technologies.
• Ultraism
• Creationism: A Hispanic movement created by Vicente Huidobro.
• Cubism: Figures are drawn

The Spanish Novel: 1940s-1950s

The Existential Novel

The existential novel is a literary genre featuring maverick characters who are often confused and frustrated. A key example is The Family of Pascual Duarte by Camilo José Cela, which initiated a trend known as tremendismo. This movement also includes the early work of Miguel Delibes, such as The Shadow of the Cypress is Long. Two other notable yet hard-to-classify works from this period are Javier Mariño and The Living Forest.

The Social Novel of the 1950s

Several external factors favored a shift in Spanish narrative during this time. A new generation of writers emerged who had not participated in the Civil War, and press censorship was often circumvented through fiction. Key figures include:...

Spanish Narrative After the Civil War (1936–1960s)

The Civil War marked a profound change in Spanish cultural life. In the narrative, some types of novels disappeared, and a large number of writers were forced into exile. The post-Civil War novel experienced a stage of disorientation, moving toward the existential in the forties, shifting to a social stage in the fifties, and finally setting out in search of new formal channels in the sixties.

The Years of Convalescence (1939–1942)

The stage between 1939 and 1942 has been called by Martínez Cachero the “years of convalescence,” characterized by aesthetic and cultural disorientation. The author highlighted during this period is Miguel Delibes. His work is prolific, encompassing novels,...

Generation of '27

A Poetic Fusion in Spain

The Generation of '27 wasn't strictly a generation, but rather a close-knit group of poets within a larger historical generation. This larger generation included other poets (like Miguel Hernández), playwrights (like Alejandro Casona), novelists (like Francisco Ayala), and even artists from other cultural movements (like Luis Buñuel, Salvador Dalí, and Manuel de Falla). The poets of '27 were united by a fusion of ideas:

• Noucentisme (pure art, intellectual rigor, and careful style)
• Tenets of the avant-garde (especially Surrealism and Creationism)
• Deep respect for Spanish lyrical tradition (influenced by authors like Antonio Machado and Juan Ramón Jiménez)
• Secular ideology from their shared educational

Spain in the Golden Age

Spanning from the end of the reign of the Catholic Monarchs to the death of Charles II, this era marked Spain's period of maximum territorial splendor. The political annexation of Portugal and intermarriage with the Habsburgs added a vast empire to the crowns of Castile and Aragon, which began to be dismembered in the 16th century. Despite this, Spain remained a great power, though it was embroiled in many wars that impacted its economy, culture, and literature.

Reforms and Counter-Reformation

A great interest in the reform of religious orders emerged in Spain. One of the most important figures was Erasmus of Rotterdam, whose thinking coincided with other reformist currents, leading him to criticize the economic and political...