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

Epic Poems and the Mester de Juglaría

Epic poems are medieval narrative works that recount the heroic deeds of a figure representative of a people. They were recited by minstrels (juglares), who were itinerant artists performing poems and songs. These epics belong to the tradition known as the Mester de Juglaría (Minstrelsy).

Key Features of the Mester de Juglaría

• Popular Origin: Created for and by the common people.
• Irregular Meter: Verses do not have a fixed number of syllables.
• Assonance Rhyme: Relies on the repetition of vowel sounds rather than consonant sounds.
• Variable Stanza Length: Composed of an undetermined number of verses.
• Heroic Deeds: Focuses on the great feats of heroes.
• Oral Transmission: Passed down verbally from one minstrel to

Garcilaso's Poetic Legacy

Petrarchan Songbook Organization

Garcilaso's poetic works were modeled on Petrarch's songs. In the fifteenth century, a 'songbook' referred to a collection of poems and songs by various authors. However, in the Petrarchan tradition, a songbook is a collection of poems by a single author, narrating the sentimental or romantic journey of the poet.

Petrarch's Canzoniere is divided into two main parts:

• A collection of poems dedicated to his beloved while she lived.
• A set of poems written in memory of his beloved, once she's dead.

The collection begins with a sonnet serving as a prologue and concludes with another sonnet. In this final sonnet, Petrarch seeks eternal comfort through a prayer to the Virgin Mary.

Garcilaso's work... Continue reading "Garcilaso de la Vega: Poetic Themes, Style, and Petrarchan Influence" »

Context of Exile: Post-1936 Uprising

The military uprising in 1936, which prevented the approval of the Statute of Autonomy, led many Galician intellectuals into exile in Argentina, Uruguay, and Mexico.

Preserving Culture & Language Abroad

Exiles, alongside immigrants, played a crucial role in preserving Portuguese culture and ensuring the continuation of the Galician language as a written form. Their actions included:

• Organization of exhibitions and conferences
• Establishment of publishing houses
• Founding of newspapers
• Constitution of cultural entities
• Denunciation to UNESCO regarding the persecution of Galician culture and language

Key Figures in Exile Literature

Poetry

Emilio Pita

Born in La Coruña, Emilio Pita emigrated to Argentina as a child.... Continue reading "Portuguese & Galician Literary Exile: Preserving Culture" »

Spanish Theater Before 1936: Trends, Authors, and Key Works

In the late nineteenth century, European theater was dominated by naturalism, focusing on reflecting human problems and analyzing character psychology. The breakdown of these conventions marked the development of European theater. Various art movements, particularly Dada and Surrealism, sought a complete break with traditional theater. The text became less important, and the viewer was expected to actively participate in the work. Techniques from cabaret, silent film, and puppet theater were incorporated, and stages were moved to unconventional locations like factories and churches.

Benaventino Comedy

Commercial theater saw the triumph of Benaventino Comedy. Jacinto Benavente was the... Continue reading "Spanish Theater: Trends, Authors, and Works Before 1936" »

Modernism: A Late 19th Century Literary Movement

Modernism emerged at the end of the 19th century in Europe and America. It encompassed renovating currents opposed to the aesthetics and attitudes of realism. Modernism, a stream of artistic and literary renewal, developed in the late 19th century, representing a break with the aesthetics of realism. It received influences from French movements in the second half of the 19th century:

• Parnassianism: Striving for formal perfection (art for art's sake), disregarding feelings, and focusing on beauty.
• Symbolism: Seeking meaning in reality through the use of symbols.

Modernism is considered to have begun with the publication of Azul by Ruben Dario in 1888. Other notable authors include Francisco Villaespesa,... Continue reading "Modernism and the Generation of '98: Literary Movements in Spain" »

Celestite

Authorship

Attributed primarily to Fernando de Rojas, with Act I possibly by Rodrigo de Cota. Initially 16 acts, later expanded to 21.

Editions

• 1^st Edition (1499-1500): Untitled, also known as Comedia de Melibea. Contains 16 acts and annotations, including an acrostic verse prologue.
• 2^nd Edition (1502): Tragicomedia de Calisto y Melibea, with 21 acts.
• 3^rd Edition: Mid-16^th century, titled La Celestina.

Genre

Debated between:

• a) Play: Division into acts, absence of a narrator, action driven by dialogue, specific time and place setting.
• b) Dialogue Novel: Length and complexity make it difficult to stage.

Structure

• Act I: Introduction to the action.
• Acts II-XII: Development of conflict between characters.
• Acts XIII-XX: Development of Calisto and Melibea'

Innovation in Renaissance Lyric Poetry

This section delves into the evolution of lyric poetry during the Renaissance, particularly focusing on the Second Renaissance period.

The Second Renaissance Context

• Pope Pius and the Counter-Reformation: A significant period marked by religious and cultural shifts.
• Educational Restrictions: Young people were forbidden from studying in foreign universities, and reading was carefully monitored to control the spread of ideas.

Poetic Currents of the Second Renaissance Lyric

Petrarchism

Poets following this pattern showed a strong preference for love themes, often characterized by idealized beauty and unrequited affection.

Horatian Lyric

Some authors cultivated poetry focused on moral themes. The favorite stanza form... Continue reading "Renaissance Lyric Poetry & Word Formation: A Comprehensive Study" »

Mercè Rodoreda: Life and Literary Stages

Mercè Rodoreda was self-taught. Her work is closely related to major events in her life and can be identified through three distinct stages of existence:

• The Early Works: A series of five novels that the author subsequently disavowed, with the exception of Aloma. Aloma is a psychological and symbolic work focusing on love and unhappiness, which Rodoreda reviewed and revised over the years.
• The Stage of Maturity: During this period, she published twenty-two stories and the work that consecrated her as a narrator, La Plaça del Diamant (Diamond Square). This novel follows the life and maturity process of a girl of popular origin named Natalia, utilizing the technique of interior monologue. She also wrote

The literature of the twentieth century marks the beginning of modernity. In the early twentieth century literary field, the Renaixença movement, begun in the previous century, shared the stage with Modernism and the recently appeared Noucentisme. After the civil war, a new generation of writers emerged, reflecting the vicissitudes of the postwar period and reaching the current generation of poets.

Modernist Poetry

Modernism was a cultural movement born to modernize society and its structures, showing a progressive ideology. Modernism is based on a romantic idea where the artist faces society and its economic interests, taking refuge and living solely for art. This professional dedication makes the artist a social rebel, known as the proponent... Continue reading "20th Century Catalan Poetry: Modernism to Avant-Garde" »

Renaissance Literature in Spain

The Renaissance

The Renaissance, the historical period following the Middle Ages, originated in Italy and spread throughout Europe. This era exalted earthly life and embraced vitalism, epitomized by the phrase carpe diem. Knowledge became a means of human improvement, giving rise to humanism. Renaissance values, particularly among the bourgeoisie, were disseminated through the printing press. The Renaissance individual sought direct communication.

Renaissance Poetry

Garcilaso de la Vega

Garcilaso de la Vega's small body of work (38 sonnets and 3 eclogues) focuses almost exclusively on love. To express his feelings, he often employs classical mythology and the literary motif of the locus amoenus. Garcilaso introduced... Continue reading "Spanish Renaissance Literature: Poets and Prose" »