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

Narrative Texts

Narrative is the telling of real or imagined events that happen to characters in a specific place and time. In every narrative, there is a story (the series of events that have occurred in reality or in the fiction we imagine) and a discourse (which is the expression of those facts, with order and structure).

Elements of Narrative

• Author: The real person who writes the story.
• Narrator:
  • Third-person: Tells what happens to others.
    • Omniscient Narrator: Knows everything, even the thoughts and feelings of the characters.
    • Absent Narrator: Only accounts for the most visible or external aspects.
  • First-person: Can tell what happened to them as the protagonist of an autobiography (e.g., Lazarillo de Tormes).
  • Witness Narrator: Tells what they

Part of Don Quixote

DQ First Departure: Chapters 1-6

Alonso Quijano, believing himself a knight, seeks an appropriate name, chooses a lady, and names his horse. The adventures of the knight always go wrong. After being beaten, a neighbor recognizes him, and he returns to the village.

Second Exit: Chapters 7-52

They seek a servant. Sancho and DQ come to Sierra Morena.

Second Part of Don Quixote

Third Exit: 74 Chapters

DQ and Sancho leave their village and travel towards Barcelona in Aragon. After arriving in Barcelona, DQ duels with the Knight of the White Moon on the beach, loses, and is obliged to return to his village for a year. Shortly after arriving, DQ falls ill, recovers his sanity, and dies.

Intent of Don Quixote

Cervantes wrote Don Quixote... Continue reading "Don Quixote and the Baroque: A Literary Journey" »

Federico Garcia Lorca (1898-1936)

The lyrics of Federico Garcia Lorca possess great musicality, both when the poet uses traditional metrics—the octosyllabic in gypsy romances—and in avant-garde compositions like Poet in New York, in predominantly free verse. Another stylistic feature is the plasticity of his images, which have a clear relationship with the surrealist movement. Federico Garcia Lorca's poems depict human tragedy, where higher forces, represented by social conventions, political trends, and, above all, death, prevent happiness. Other notable works of this poet's lyrics, who is probably the best known of his generation, include the Poem of Flamenco Singing and the elegy mourning the death of Ignacio Sánchez Mejías.

Vicente

Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer and His Rhymes

Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer, born in 1836 and who died in 1870, belonged to the Romantic movement of the first half of the nineteenth century in Spain. This period was historically marked by three events that determined the literary tradition and the orientation of the authors: the War of Independence, the reign of Fernando VII, and the reign of Elizabeth II. The latter's start was stormy due to power struggles that generated political instability. Romanticism is characterized by the rejection of reality and escape into an imaginary world, the analysis of privacy, defense of the author's freedom, and the importance of landscape and environment.

Bécquer's Rhymes were written between 1857 and 1868 but were not... Continue reading "Spanish Literature: Bécquer's Rhymes and Clarín's La Regenta" »

The Pantheon in Rome

The building holds significant interest, particularly its internal aspect.

Time Period

Art of the High Roman Empire (118-128 AD)

The Pantheon is a religious building dedicated to honoring all the gods, intended for the glorification of the gens Julia and to project the prestige of imperial power.

As indicated by the inscription on the frieze of the portico, the building is attributed to Marcus Agrippa, a friend and general of Emperor Augustus. However, it is now known that Agrippa's original temple was rebuilt under Emperor Hadrian.

The first temple was commissioned by Marcus Agrippa and built between 27-25 BC. Its construction was entrusted to Lucius Cocceius Auctus. It was built between the Basilica of Neptune and the Saepta... Continue reading "The Pantheon Rome: History and Architecture" »

Medieval Prose

The Middle Ages saw the birth of prose in Castilian (until the 13th century, works were written in Latin).

The Toledo School of Translators was an important institution responsible for translating books into Castilian from Latin, Hebrew, and Arabic.

During the 14th century, prose took on a didactic intent, epitomized by Don Juan Manuel. His most famous work is The Count Lucanor (51 short stories), which follows this schema: The Count, the employer, has a servant who tells a story to his master each time he seeks practical advice on something.

• Topics: Varied teachings that share a common goal.
• Characters: Also very varied, including historical or real figures.
• Structure: They begin with the formulation of a question, which is answered

The Baroque Period: An Overview

The Baroque period represents a significant shift from Renaissance thought, transforming technical and stylistic approaches in the 16th century. Key characteristics include:

• Originality: A focus on creating a unique and impactful experience for the audience.
• Personal Wit: Artists displayed a highly individual and original style.
• Exaggeration: Works often featured exaggerated elements, sometimes making them difficult to understand.
• Disillusionment: Reflecting a sense of falsehood and disillusionment with the world.

Conceptismo

Conceptismo, with Quevedo as its most prominent figure, emphasized the meaning of words, aiming to convey much with few words.

Culteranismo

Culteranismo, exemplified by Góngora, focused on the exaggeration... Continue reading "Baroque Art and Literature: Key Characteristics & Figures" »

The Generation of '27

The Generation of '27 is a group of Spanish poets who gathered in 1927 to pay homage to Luis de Góngora on the tercentenary of his death.

Features:

• Re-addition of Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer, whom these poets, along with Juan Ramón Jiménez, would recognize as a precursor to their "naked poetry."
• These poets recovered the Spanish folk tradition while also embracing the avant-garde.
• They felt the influence of early avant-garde movements like Ultraism and Creationism.
• Regarding metrics, they used traditional stanzas such as romances, ballads, sonnets, and silvas, and they can be considered initiators of free verse.
• There is also the classic footprint of Bécquer and Góngora.
• Their poetry is transcendent, human, and passionate.
• Their

Rubén Darío: The Nicaraguan Poet (1867-1916)

Rubén Darío (1867-1916) was one of the most celebrated and admired poets of his time. His artistic evolution is evident in his three books of poetry:

• Azul (Blue): A work full of youthful enthusiasm.
• Prosas Profanas (Profane Prose): Corresponds to the splendor of the modernist movement and his greatest personal success.
• Cantos de Vida y Esperanza (Songs of Life and Hope): A book that questions the meaning of life and expresses his vital disappointment.

Rubén Darío's poetry was adopted in Spain by young poets of that time.

Juan Ramón Jiménez: Evolution of Spanish Poetry (1881-1958)

The poetic career of Juan Ramón Jiménez, born in Moguer, Huelva in 1881 and died in Puerto Rico in 1958, exemplifies... Continue reading "Rubén Darío, Juan Ramón Jiménez, Valle-Inclán, Antonio Machado: Spanish Poets" »

Spanish Poets of the Generation of 1927

Pedro Salinas

Pedro Salinas grew into pure poetry. Like A. I. J. R. Jiménez, he looked at the essence of things, hidden through an intellectualized language. His first books, Presagios (Omens) and Seguro Azar (Sure Chance), mix pure poetry and futuristic themes. La Voz a Ti Debida (The Voice Owed to You) and Razón de Amor (Reason of Love) are his masterpieces, which made him a renowned poet of love. In exile, his most recognized works are El Contemplado (The Contemplated), Todo Más Claro (Everything Clearer), and Confianza (Trust), which reflect despair at the negative aspects of modern civilization.

Jorge Guillén

Jorge Guillén won the Cervantes Prize in 1977. He is the most prominent representative... Continue reading "Spanish Poets of the Generation of 1927: A Deep Dive" »