Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Latin

Forms of Spanish Golden Age Theater

Corral Comedy

These performances took place in neighborhood courtyards (corrales). The plays were often long, running from Easter until the following Carnival. They were typically performed in the afternoon.

Palace Theatre (Teatro Cortesano)

This form of theater was represented in the palaces of the nobles or the king. It was often more complicated than one might think, utilizing professional actors, though sometimes the noble or monarch themselves intervened in the performance.

Mystery Plays (Autos Sacramentales)

These were one-act plays featuring religious themes and allegorical characters with a didactic intent. They were performed on the street during the celebration of Corpus Christi and financed by the city... Continue reading "The Spanish Golden Age: Lope de Vega and New Comedy" »

The Tradition of Knightly Stories

The stories about knights date back to the songs of geste, narrated by minstrels at a time when the nobility held a great historical role. These narratives were transformed during the fifteenth century as society changed profoundly.

Chivalric Romances vs. Chivalric Novels

Medieval literature developed two distinct forms of knightly fiction:

Chivalric Romances (Books of Chivalry)

• Recreate a past and remote time: The action is located in distant and exotic landscapes.
• Fantastic elements: There are dragons, giants, and other creatures in a mysterious and fantastic setting.
• Characters: The characters are often quite superhuman.

Chivalric Novels

• Reflection of the environment: They are a reflection of the environment in which

Traditional Lyric

Traditional lyrics were sung and danced to. They were anonymous and their main theme was parallelism. They were simple.

• Alba: Songs at dawn, about the beloved woman.
• Songs of Mowing: Songs sung by workers during their workday.
• Serranillas: Lyrical and narrative compositions in verse, singing of the meeting with a loving *serrana* (mountain woman).
• Villancicos: Songs with rhyme that began to be sung in churches and were associated with Christmas.

Cult Lyric

Elaborate poetry, they were borne by minstrels.

• Jarcha: Written in Mozarabic. Loving theme, from a female perspective.
• Cantigas: Written in the prestigious Galician language.

Alfonso X: Cantigas to the Virgin Mary

420 compositions that tell of the Virgin Mary's miracles. They are divided... Continue reading "Medieval Spanish Literature: Lyric, Narrative, Prose" »

Spanish Theater Before 1939

In the late nineteenth century, works known as "high comedy" by Echegaray and his followers were represented. Public taste, which was only slightly refined, and the disaffection of theater owners prevented any serious attempt at renovating the theater scene. Nevertheless, the following forms survived in the first third of the century:

1. The bourgeois comedy.
2. The farce of the Madrid or Andalusian environment, which evolved into other forms such as the grotesque tragedy or the Astracán.
3. The modernist spirit, which cultivated a poetic and symbolic theater.

Attempts at Renewal and the Generation of '98

The most serious attempts at renewal came from Unamuno, Valle Inclán, and Azorín, but few of their works were successfully... Continue reading "Spanish Theater History: Trends and Authors Before 1939" »

Social Poetry: A Stage of Transformation

2nd Stage (Social Poetry): Gabriel Celaya's "Songs of Iberia" marks the first book of this stage. The author delves into his troubles and metaphysical concerns, finding solidarity with the suffering rather than religion. In his own words, the task is "to demonstrate the tragedy of living brotherhood and then as soon as possible through it." Blas de Otero, influenced by Marxist ideology, conceives poetry as a tool for social change. He addresses the "vast majority," contrasting with Juan Ramón Jiménez's slogan. Like Jiménez, he seeks simplicity of language, though sometimes only apparent, with a desire for accessibility to help transform the world.

The work begins with a quote from Don Quixote, "will

Spanish Baroque Literary Masters

Luis de Góngora: Poetic Innovation

Luis de Góngora, born in Córdoba in 1561, lived at court in Madrid. A priest, he dedicated himself exclusively to poetry, dying in Córdoba in 1626. He wrote letrillas (humorous popular poems, often octosyllabic). Among his various works were romances and fables, such as Pyramus and Thisbe (1618), a long composition of more than 15 verses. Key poetic characteristics of Góngora include:

• A tendency towards popular burlesque vision of reality, alongside serious reflection.
• Grave and serious mythological themes.

His Soledades (silvas) were written with a simple song theme, focusing on natural life, disdain for courtly ambitions, and rural pastoral scenes. Polyphemus and Galatea... Continue reading "Spanish Baroque Literature: Key Authors and Aesthetics" »

Secció A: Volcans, Meteorologia i Hidrologia

1.1 Composició Volcànica

1. CO₂, vapor d’aigua, H₂S, ... (del volcà o en fumaroles)
2. Les colades de lava estan formades d’una fracció líquida important.
3. Cendres, bombes, lapil·li (gredes, pedra pòmez...), etc.

2.2 Condicions Meteorològiques i Pressió

Com que els vents vénen del Nord (nord – nord-est, si es vol ser més precís), les temperatures seran fresques o fredes, depenent de l’època de l’any. La pressió atmosfèrica a Catalunya, segons el mapa, és de 1000-1004 hPa (mb).

3.2 Càlcul del Cabal del Riu

Segons el tall de la gràfica, la casa es veu afectada quan l’aigua del riu arriba als 4 metres. Tenint en compte que la llera és de forma triangular, la secció que té el riu... Continue reading "Anàlisi Geològica, Meteorològica i Hidrològica a Catalunya" »

Pedro Salinas

Pedro Salinas initiated a renovation of poetic language in his efforts to find the essence of things and life experiences. In this sense, he is the highest representative of what is known as "pure poetry." The three basic elements of his creation are: authenticity, beauty, and ingenuity. Salinas was a perfectionist, yet endowed with great sensitivity. He is considered the leading poet of love of his generation.

His work is typically divided into three stages:

• First Stage (Until 1932)

  Pure poetry under the influence of Juan Ramón Jiménez. Key work: Presagios.

• Second Stage (Until 1939)

  Poetry of love. His concept of love was anti-romantic, neither tormented nor suffered. Instead, love is presented as an enrichment of life and the individual.

The Renaissance and Baroque Periods

Peter Seraph (1505-1567)

Peter Seraph (1505/1510-1567) was influenced by Ausiàs March during the Renaissance. His Catalan works include two books and 170 poems.

John Smith (Died c. 1603)

John Smith (died c. 1603) fully embraced the traditionally conservative attitude of Ausiàs March. His work is a counter-accord with a movement that sought to restore the Church's moral authority, characteristic of the Baroque period.

Francesc Vicent Garcia (1579-1623)

Francesc Vicent Garcia (1579/1582-1623) is considered the greatest representative of his time, known as the Rector of Vallfogona. His work, influenced by Castilian literature, is humorous and eschatological (referring to excrement). He generated "vallfogonisme,"... Continue reading "Catalan Literary Evolution: Renaissance to Modernism" »

Miguel Hernández's poetry consistently explores three major themes: life, love, and death. His Cancionero y romancero de ausencias (Songbook and Ballads of Absences) encapsulates these profound subjects.

Nature in Hernández's Poetry

Hernández was a nature poet from childhood. His early work depicted nature as a living environment, covering landscapes and everyday elements of his modest existence. His poems, often described as modernist in their features, delve into the mystery of creation, attempting to reach the soul of things. He considered himself part of nature, exalting and dignifying even the most insignificant elements, making any element the subject of his verse.

"Perito en lunas": A Góngora-Inspired Work

At this stage, his most significant... Continue reading "Miguel Hernández's Poetic Legacy: Themes of Life, Love, Death" »