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

Plato's Philosophy: Soul, State, and Knowledge

The Tripartite Soul and Virtues

The rational soul's purpose is to serve the noble. Its virtue is prudence, which corresponds to reason. This rational part should rule over the others, leading to justice. Justice is the harmony between the three parts of the soul.

Plato's Critique of Democracy

In the Republic, Plato critiques democracy and the sophists, who teach politicians to flatter the populace and govern by the whim of the masses.

The Myth of Metals (Classes)

Plato posits that people are born with different "metals" in their souls – gold, silver, or bronze – determining their natural class:

• Producers (Bronze/Iron): Predominantly driven by the appetitive soul. Their virtue is temperance and self-

Europe at War

Europe was at war in 1914. The First World War erupted, resulting in millions of deaths and food shortages. After the war, there was an increased distrust of democracy and capitalism, favoring communism and fascism. There was an intellectual revolution; new ideologies emerged from manifestos, scientific advances, etc. In Spain during the 1920s, social unrest and economic collapse led to a discrediting of the Restoration. In 1923, Primo de Rivera staged a coup and installed a dictatorship.

Avant-Garde Movements

There were social movements that tried to make a revolution. There was a rejection of contemporary avant-garde art, and some were active in political parties with little success. The interwar period was the heyday of avant-... Continue reading "European Avant-Garde Movements: 1914-1930s" »

Luis de Góngora y Argote: Poetic Innovation

Góngora was an innovator of poetic language of his time, practicing less Petrarchan poetry and art. His minor art includes:

• Moorish romances
• Pastoral poems
• Burlesque works, notably "The Fable of Pyramus and Thisbe" and satirical letrillas.

Sonnets

His sonnets explore themes of love and the incitement to pleasure (carpe diem). Other groups focus on burlesque, disenchantment, and the transience of life.

Longer Poems

His major works include:

• "Fable of Polyphemus and Galatea" (written in octavas reales)
• "Soledades" (written in silvas)

While love is a main theme, these poems also highlight pastoral settings. Góngora's style is characterized by its complexity, featuring mythological allusions, a highly cultivated... Continue reading "Baroque Poetry Masters: Gongora, Lope de Vega, Quevedo" »

Garcilaso de la Vega: Themes, Style, and Works

Themes

Garcilaso de la Vega's conception of Petrarchan love follows tradition, portraying it as an impossible love inspired by his beloved. When describing his beloved, Garcilaso depicts an idealized Petrarchan beauty—feminine beauty, refined and harmonious. This is a noble escape from the courtly life, a yearning for rest and peace, a description that leads to peaceful cities. In his mythology, he recreates myths in which love combines despair and death; these myths serve as a disguise for his own feelings.

Style

Garcilaso's style is simple, serene; it expresses feelings with naturalness and elegance, and his language possesses a musical quality. He uses metaphors, epithets, hyperbaton, alliteration,... Continue reading "Garcilaso de la Vega: Life, Style, and Works" »

The Concept of Literature

Literature is an art form that aims to create beauty through language. A literary work expands upon language, having variable characteristics and not always a direct practical purpose.

Literary Genres

Literary genres classify works based on common features. Factors determining genre include:

• Order Sought by the Author: May be aesthetic or a mix of practical and aesthetic purposes.
• Predominant Form of Elocution: Narration, description, dialogue, etc.
• Tradition: The generic conventions of the era in which the work was created.
• Attitudes of the Author: Can be objective or subjective.
• Society: Societal preferences for certain genres over time.

Classifications

Lyric, epic-narrative, dramatic, and didactic essay.

Evolution of the Term

It... Continue reading "Understanding Literary Concepts: Genres, Functions, and Forms" »

The Spanish Language in America: Historical Context

The introduction of Spanish in America was a slow process spanning centuries, reaching its maximum extent in the eighteenth century as the language of government, culture, and the Church. The geographical varieties adopted by Spanish in America depend on the social, cultural, ethnic, and substrate factors of each region where Spanish arrived. Specifically, some of the factors that contributed to the emergence of these varieties were:

Factors Contributing to American Spanish Varieties

The Origins of the Settlements

The Castilian language that reached American soil in the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries still lacked a fixed linguistic system. In this sense, the different regional origins... Continue reading "Linguistic Evolution and Characteristics of Spanish in America" »

Lyrical Poetry

Lyrical poetry integrates all those literary texts in which the author delves into individual feelings, ideas, and passions. These poems do not have a historical or story line.

Subgenres:

• Anthem: Composed to be sung, anthems usually express collective feelings.
• Ode: Of a certain length, odes address lofty and abstract concepts. They are divided into stanzas or similar parts.
• Elegy: A lament or epitaph, elegies express feelings of hurt over the loss of someone, because of misfortune or calamity, or memories of a bygone past and an extinct civilization.
• Eclogue: A long poem in which the characters are shepherds who discuss their love affairs.
• Lyrics: A love poem, more or less extensive, originally troubadour, sometimes accompanied by

Cultural Work of Galician Exiles

• Creation of cultural magazines (e.g., Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo immigrant communities).
• Establishment of channels for the distribution of Portuguese literature (collections, editorials).
• Consolidation of Galician Theater: emergence of new Galician theater companies.
• Extensive work disseminating Portuguese culture in immigrant communities.

Luis Seoane: Art, Exile, and Return

Son of immigrants, Luis Seoane was born in Buenos Aires. During the Civil War, he emigrated to Buenos Aires where he founded publishing houses and published books. He published poems such as Fardel eisiliado in Bretema de Santiago, and Las Cicatrices. After 27 years, he returned to Santa Catarina and deepened his work at Sargadelos with Díaz... Continue reading "Galician Literature and Culture: Post-Civil War Voices" »

Grammar Fundamentals: Pronouns and Prepositions

Understanding Pronouns

Pronouns are words that can replace a nominal phrase and can therefore have the same functions. They can be tonic (or strong) and unstressed (or weak).

Types of Pronouns

• Singular / Plural:
  • 1st Person: I, me / we, us
  • 2nd Person: you / you
  • 3rd Person: him, her / they, them
• Reflexive Pronoun: se

Prepositions and Prepositional Phrases

Classes of Prepositions

Prepositions are words that link nouns, pronouns, or phrases to other words in a sentence. They can be categorized as:

• Weak: a, with, of, in, for, by
• Strong: toward, against, below, from, among, up to, without, on, under, beyond, through

Common Prepositional Phrases

Prepositional phrases are groups of words that begin with a preposition... Continue reading "Essential Grammar, Narrative Structure, and Ausias March's Poetry" »

Noucentisme: A Cultural and Political Overview

Noucentisme was a cultural and political movement that began with the creation of Catalan Solidarity (1906) and ended with the coup d'état of 1923.

Key Figures of Noucentisme

Eugeni d'Ors

Eugeni d'Ors was a key ideologue of the movement. Born in Barcelona in 1881, he studied philosophy and letters. He wrote under the pseudonym 'Xenius'. After the death of Prat de la Riba, he resigned from his government positions. He then began to write in Spanish. He died in Vilanova i la Geltrú in 1954. One of his best-known genres was the 'glosa,' a short, daily article published in an intellectual voice, aiming to bring a certain gleam to the world. His most prestigious works include La ben plantada, which presents... Continue reading "Noucentisme: Catalan Cultural and Political Movement" »