Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and exercises for Latin for Other courses

Romance in Spanish Literature

Romance: A romance is a series of indefinite assonant rhyming eight-syllable verses in pairs. The rhyme is the repetition of phonemes in the final verse from the last accented vowel. When all phonemes agree, it is a consonant rhyme, and when only the vowel sounds match, it is an assonant rhyme.

The Origin of Romance

Romance is an indefinite series of eight-syllable verses because they have no proper structure. They are an import of what were the "epics". These songs were oral poems, songs of people who were in town for minstrels. There comes a time when some parts of the most popular songs were made, then the people started again and learned, becoming a new poem. Thus, the romance was born. All parts did not remember...

Romanticism

Romantic poets had as their themes: rejection of the environment, emotional excitement, liberated longing, and communion with nature.

• Poetry: Intimate lyric poetry that expresses the frustrations of the poet.
• Narrative: Collected legends and historical themes.

José de Espronceda

He is a romantic liberal prototype, exalted. His poetry is a passionate hymn to freedom, with a brilliant, musical, and effective style.

Works: Sancho Saldaña, Blanca de Borbón, El Estudiante de Salamanca, El Diablo Mundo, Hymn to the Sun.

Style: Pompous and emphatic, brilliant musicality.

Late Romanticism

Intimate romantic lyricism reached its climax late, with Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer and Rosalía de Castro. Both favor a simple, lyrical, and introspective style....

Luis de Góngora

Obra Poética

Góngora's work focuses on poetry that is either high-style or parodic:

• Poesía Menor (Minor Art): Includes Moorish romances, pastoral, historical, and burlesque works (such as the Fable of Pyramus and Thisbe, a parodic version of the classic love story) and letrillas (burlesque and satire).
• Sonnets: Themes include Petrarchan love (amended by the consciousness of time), burlesque, and a group focused on disappointment and the transience of life.
• Poesía Mayor (Elderly Poetry): Includes the Fable of Polyphemus and Galatea and the Soledades. The Polyphemus depicts the Cyclops in love, enraged by Galatea, who kills her lover. These works emphasize pastoral grounds and are written in stanzas.

Style

Characterized by difficulty...

Camilo José Cela (1916-2002)

Born in Iria Flavia (La Coruña), Camilo José Cela was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1989. His first major success was La familia de Pascual Duarte. This novel exemplifies Tremendismo, a literary current characterized by gruesome arguments, violent scenes, and the use of rural language. La familia de Pascual Duarte is an autobiographical story, told in the first person, where the protagonist recounts his life and the various crimes that led to his death penalty from jail.

Cela's other notable works include Pabellón de reposo, a succession of monologues; Nuevas andanzas y desventuras de Lazarillo de Tormes, a work in the picaresque tradition; and Viaje a la Alcarria, a renowned travel book exploring several...

Modernism in Latin America

Modernism had its source in Latin America at the end of the 19th century. José Martí (Cuba) and Rubén Darío (Nicaragua) created and distributed it. "Azul" by Rubén Darío is considered the start of Modernism.

Features of Modernism

• Aesthetic Literature: It seeks beauty above all else, emphasizing rhythm and musicality while changing metrical forms.
• Topics: Feelings such as boredom, apathy, and melancholy are explored. This causes authors to take refuge in dream worlds.
• Escapism: An escape from reality, situating works in remote venues, both in space and time. They discuss alien civilizations, the past, and luxurious surroundings.
• Symbolic Elements: The swan is a symbol of Modernist aesthetics.
• Erotic, Poetic Language

The Literary Legacy of Federico García Lorca

Federico García Lorca's work covers two main aspects: poetry and drama. His entire body of work can be divided into three distinct chronological stages, characterized by evolving styles and themes:

1. Neopopulism (1921–1928)
2. Surrealism (1929–1932)
3. Equilibrium between Tradition and the Avant-Garde (1932–1936)

Stage 1: Neopopulism and Andalusian Culture (1921–1928)

In poetry, this stage assumes Andalusian popular culture and imitates the meter and style of traditional songs and ballads, in addition to flamenco. This trend is evident in works such as:

• Poem of the Cante Jondo (or Poema del cante flamenco)
• Gypsy Ballads (or Romancero Gitano)

During this same period, Lorca debuted in drama, recreating the...

Foundations of Ancient Greece

• The Ancient Greeks were excellent in poetry, politics, and philosophy.
• The Minoans were the earliest civilization in the vicinity of Greece.
• Mycenae: A fortress city surrounded by walls 10 feet thick and royal tombs.
• Homer: Blind poet and creator of the Iliad and Odyssey, two poems still widely read and admired.

Greek Mythology and Culture

• Zeus: King of the gods.
• Apollo: God of the sun.
• Poseidon: King of the sea.
• Agora: Marketplace, a busy place of commerce, conversation, and political debate.
• Gymnasium: Place of physical training and games of skill.
• Olympic Games: First held in 776 B.C. and conducted every 4 years in honor of Zeus.

Historical Figures and Leaders

• Darius I: Persian King.
• Leonidas: Spartan King.
• Pericles: Aristocrat

Francisco Quevedo

Francisco Quevedo y Villegas was born in Madrid in 1580. He became famous at a young age and participated in various political intrigues. He later retired, ill, to Torre Juan de Abad. He died in Villanueva de los Infantes (Ciudad Real) in 1645 and is considered the highest representative of the conceptismo style.

His style is characterized by a masterful use of language, irony, parody, puns, and metaphors. He also uses vulgar and colloquial expressions, adopting a playful attitude towards language. His works include:

• Love poems, both idealized and torn visions of love.
• Moral and philosophical poems addressing the passage of time, the transience of life, and death.
• Satirical and burlesque poems, which caricature different aspects

Medieval Chivalry and Crusades

Ramon Llull was a great medieval writer who authored The Book of the Order of Chivalry. Knights were the armed elite of society, tasked with defending the populace and nobility from enemy rulers. They initiated crusades. Medieval crusades aimed to conquer territories, often clashing with Muslim forces. Participating in the Crusades was highly regarded. Crusaders could keep all the riches they acquired. Taking part in a crusade granted automatic pardon for all sins committed. The first crusade in the Iberian Peninsula was not Jerusalem; Jerusalem was the setting for many crusades. The conquests by King James I were against Muslim kingdoms in the Iberian Peninsula.

The Chivalric Romance Genre

France was a focal point...