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

The October Revolution and Birth of the USSR

Between September and November, the Bolsheviks emerged as the primary alternative to the Provisional Government. The Petrograd Soviet, headed by Leon Trotsky, along with the Moscow Soviet and other urban centers, sided with the Bolsheviks.

Prelude to Revolution: Russia in Crisis

Conditions of life notably worsened in Russia due to widespread shortages and administrative chaos.

Lenin's Return and Bolshevik Strategy

Lenin took advantage of this chaos to return to Petrograd from his exile. The Bolshevik leadership convinced their comrades to adopt the principle of armed insurrection. The Petrograd uprising was strategically deferred to coincide with the opening of the Second All-Russian Congress of Soviets... Continue reading "The October Revolution: Russia's Path to the Soviet Union" »

Themes in Rosalía de Castro's Poetry

Rosalía de Castro's poetry often presents a bleak vision of life and the world, exploring themes of pain and anguish caused by the transience of life, the inability to recover the past, and profound desolation.

Poem 1: Desolation and Loss

This poem combines a unique blend of verse forms, including seven-syllable lines. The first stanza features consonant rhyme. It conveys a belief that there is no hope for the speaker, only utter desolation. This despair is so profound that even the white daylight intensifies its bitterness. The poem employs parallelism between "black nest," "grave," and "omission" on one hand, and "dead," "sad," and "my soul" on the other, emphasizing a pervasive sense of decay and sorrow.... Continue reading "Rosalía de Castro's Poetic World: Themes of Anguish and Hope" »

Unamuno

Unamuno's early work criticized the Spanish situation, looking to Europe as a model. Later, he explored the sense of existence, religious faith, and survival after death.

Works

• Test: Explored casticismo (intrahistory).
• Spanish travels and visions: Subjective views of the Spanish landscape.
• The life of Don Quixote and Sancho: Explored the tragic sense of life.
• The agony of Christianity: Examined the philosopher's condition, distresses, obsessions, search for God, immortality, and the struggle between reason and faith.

Novel

Unamuno called his new type of novel "Nivola," characterized by minimal action, dialogues, and interior monologues. Examples include:

• San Manuel Bueno, Martyr (loss of faith of a priest)
• Fog (Augusto Perez)

Ramón Maria del

Superstratum: External Linguistic Influences

A superstratum refers to the linguistic influences received from the language of a people who seize a territory during its formation, without replacing the existing language. For instance, the islands were occupied by the Vandals, leaving a superstratum influence.

Germanic Superstratum

In the Catalan lexicon, we find many words of Germanic origin, such as flag, war, and back.

Arabic Superstratum

Territories in the Arab domain were under influence for approximately three centuries. However, not all invaded lands remained under Arabic influence for the same duration. The introduction of Arabisms occurred primarily in territories under Islamic domination.

From Latin to Catalan: Language Evolution

The loss... Continue reading "Linguistic Foundations of Catalan: Superstratum and Substratum" »

Eduardo Pondal: Life and Literary Contributions

Eduardo Pondal (Ponteceso, 1835 - Madrid, 1917) began his studies with a bachelor's degree in 1848, followed by medicine and literature. He was proficient in Latin. He participated in the Lyceum Youth feast in Conxo and was associated with the Cova Celtic.

Pondal's Work

His work can be divided into two periods:

• First Period (1854-1868): Marked by a romantic trend, including the campaign of Anllóns in 1858 and contributions to the Obras Completas Anotadas de Eduardo Pondal (OAE) in 1992.
• Second Period (1877-1886): The era of regionalism, featuring works like Rumores de los Pinos (1877) and Queixumes dos Pinos (1886).

Os Eoas: An Epic Poem

Os Eoas, an epic poem, reflects Pondal's evolving thought. It... Continue reading "Galician Literature: 19th Century Authors and Works" »

1. Lyric Poetry

1.1. Popular Castilian Lyrics

As discussed previously, popular lyrics existed before the 15th century, which marks the beginning of written records. These lyrics were preserved through various songbooks of the period. These compositions are simple yet beautiful and lyrically dense. Their meter is irregular, with a tendency towards 6 to 8 syllables per line. The central theme is love.

One popular lyric form is the carol, which has the following structure:

• Opening lines forming a repeating chorus
• A stanza of 4 verses
• Two or more linking lines, one rhyming with the stanza and another with the chorus

Carols were often used in Christmas scenes. These traditional compositions were highly valued in the 17th century, with Lope de Vega incorporating... Continue reading "15th-Century Spanish Lyric Poetry: An In-Depth Look" »

Cantar de Mio Cid

Date of Composition and Authorship

Cantar de Mio Cid was written in the late twelfth or early thirteenth century. Although traditionally attributed to Per Abbad, it is now believed he was merely a copyist. The current consensus is that the poem was composed by two minstrels.

Structure

The poem is divided into three parts (or "cantares"):

• Cantar del Destierro (Song of Exile)
• Cantar de las Bodas (Song of the Weddings)
• Cantar de la Afrenta de Corpes (Song of the Corpes Affront)

Metrics and Style

• Epic Epithets: Adjectives used to highlight the characteristics of the hero.
• Pleonasms: Used to give expression to the text.
• Appeals to the Audience: Used to keep the audience's attention.
• Use of Arabic expressions and particles like "Oh!"
• Frequent

Biographical Aspects

Rosalía de Castro (Santiago, 1837 – 1885), daughter of María Teresa de Castro and José Martínez Viojo, faced early challenges. A law prohibited the son of a priest from living with either parent, so young Rosalía spent her early years with an aunt in Ortoño. She lived in rural areas, which Rosalía soon reflected in her poems.

At 15 years old, she worked in Santiago, where she lived with her mother. There, she met Eduardo Pondal and Aurelio Aguirre, participating in veiled literary and musical gatherings.

In 1856, she went to Madrid where she met Manuel Murguía. They married two years later and had 7 children, 2 of whom died very young. The couple's life was full of difficulties of every kind: labor, economic, and... Continue reading "Rosalía de Castro: Life, Works, and Enduring Legacy" »

Ramón María del Valle-Inclán: Satire and Symbolism

Valle-Inclán also authored the trilogy "Mardi Gras," composed of Los cuernos de Don Friolera (Don Friolera's Horns), Las galas del difunto (The Deceased's Finery), and La hija del Capitán (The Captain's Daughter). This series offers a satirical vision of deeply ingrained Spanish themes such as honor and philandering. Additionally, he created a series of five pieces under the common denomination of "Retablo de la avaricia, la lujuria y la muerte" (Altar of Greed, Lust, and Death).

Federico García Lorca: Poetic Drama and Social Commentary

Lorca's work is not only essentially poetic due to the abundant use of verse but also because of its compelling arguments and evocative language. His recurring... Continue reading "Spanish Literary Masters: Valle-Inclán and Federico García Lorca's Dramatic Legacy" »

Popular Narratives

Popular narratives are stories, often fictional, transmitted orally from generation to generation. They are brief and ingenious tales that often aim to entertain and convey a lesson.

Structure of Popular Narratives

• Narrative framework
• Initial event
• Actions
• Final location

Types of Popular Narratives

• Marvelous Stories: These stories feature fantastic and magical elements. Some of their characters are fairies, ogres, and witches.
• Anecdotes and Legends: These narratives are of an everyday nature.
• Myths: Myths present stories that mix the real and the imaginary. For example, a myth may involve a god and be protagonized by heroes.

Grammatical Elements

Determiners

Determiners are words that accompany nouns, specifying their gender and number.... Continue reading "Popular Narratives and Theater: Origins and Characteristics" »