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

Juan Ramón Jiménez (JJR): His Onuvense character and melancholic style exemplify a path from modernism to poetic vanguardism. He died in exile and won the Nobel Prize in three stages, beginning in 1956. His poetry includes sentimental, romantic, and intimate pieces, as well as 'Diary of a Newlywed Poet'. As an intellectual, he sought the ultimate maxima and purification of transcendence, reflecting on death, transition, and eternity. Every effort was like that of a silversmith.

The second stage of his generation, the '27 group, shared intellectual concerns, influenced by figures like Salinas, Guillén, and Gerardo Diego, who had contact with JJR. The poetry of popular features unites them with Alberti, Lorca, Cernuda, García Pradovicnte,... Continue reading "Juan Ramón Jiménez: Modernism to Vanguard Poetry" »

Miguel Hernández: A Poetic Connection to Nature

Miguel Hernández, from his early years, developed a profound connection with living nature, which granted him his first insights into life. His opening lines reflect the ripples of a teenager who sought to transfer to paper the simplest, everyday events of life—those he observed daily. His work, therefore, speaks of sensory poetry, visual and audible manifestations that reveal the close connection between Miguel Hernández's poetic craft and daily life.

Everyday Poetry and Influences

This type of poetry can be described as "everyday," as if written through his very eyes. His focus is on the landscape of Orihuela and a modernism that echoes the styles of Vicente Medina and the bucolic manners... Continue reading "Miguel Hernández's Poetic Nature: Themes and Imagery" »

Poetry in the Diaspora: Luís Seoane (1910-1979)

Painter, muralist, designer, poet, playwright, Luís Seoane began to excel in his academics in Compostela. He joined the *Federación Universitaria Escolar* in 1933 and settled in Madrid as a labor lawyer. He fled to Portugal and from there embarked for Buenos Aires.

Merits:

• a) Articles published in several Argentine newspapers. He directed and collaborated with several magazines of the local Galician community: *Follas Novas*, the magazine of "Centro Gallego" and *Buenos Aires*, the newspaper *El Correo de Galicia* and *Galicia Literaria*.
• b) Edited several artistic works: 13 prints of the cartoons *Galicia Mártir*, *Atila en Galicia*, *Milicianos*, and *Estampas de la traición*, with Franco's

Spanish Poetry Since 1940

The consequences of the civil war included a break with past trends, the exile of many poets (literature speaks of two groups: inner and exile), censorship preventing poets from expressing themselves freely, and isolation from European literary and artistic movements.

Poetry of Exile

Different cases:

• Antonio Machado died a few days before leaving Spain.
• Poets of the Generation of '14, like Juan Ramón Jiménez.
• Poets from the Generation of '27: some died, like Lorca, others went into exile.

Common topics include the theme of the lost homeland. Their poems evoke struggle, illusions, and a tone of desperation and bitter nostalgia. Spanish evocation of distant lands and the craving to return. The styles are varied (Juan Gil... Continue reading "Spanish Poetry: From Civil War to Modern Avant-Garde" »

Jacinto Verdaguer (1845-1902) (second half of the 19th century)

This author represents the consolidation of Renaixença poetry and is considered the creator of modern Catalan literature. He became so popular that his poems were learned in schools, and some even became popular songs.

The work of Verdaguer includes poetry and prose, and he alternated between Castilian and Catalan in his writings, producing all his work in Catalan.

Born into a peasant family, he entered the seminary to begin his ecclesiastical career and started to familiarize himself with European culture and Greco-Roman influences. He alternated his studies with farm work and developed an enthusiasm for the popular culture of his rural upbringing (tales, legends, etc.).

After being... Continue reading "Jacinto Verdaguer: Pioneer of Modern Catalan Literature" »

The activity of monks, focused on God and the destiny of man, significantly influenced the medieval theocentric worldview.

Feudalism: Social Hierarchy of the Middle Ages

The typical social organization of the Middle Ages was feudalism, a system based on the obligation of vassals to remain loyal to their lords in exchange for land.

• Nobility: Based its influence on economic, military, and political strength. It was divided into high and low nobility, and included knights and warriors.
• Clergy: Divided into high and low clergy. The former was composed of the Church hierarchy, and the latter by common clergy or popular groups.
• Commoners (Village Level): Characterized by the absence of privileges. They constituted the largest group in society, with most

Isabel Allende's Literary Style

On the literary plane, Isabel Allende's writing recreates a place and an era, allowing characters and story to emerge organically, without an initial plot plan. Several of her books have been born from letters and personal reflections; The House of the Spirits and Paula are prime examples of this. She composed Paula as a tribute to her daughter, indicating it is more a memoir than a biography. Humor is an integral part of her writings, whether journalistic or literary works. Allende attempted to reach young readers with The City of Beasts (2002), a book that allowed her a break and the freedom to capture their imagination in a new way.

The Post-Boom: New Latin American Narrative

Isabel Allende's work has been pigeonholed... Continue reading "Isabel Allende's Influence on Post-Boom Latin American Literature" »

Understanding Literature: Forms, Genres, and Historical Context

Literature is a profound form of artistic expression that utilizes oral or written language as its primary medium. It can be broadly categorized into two fundamental forms: verse and prose.

• Verse: In verse, the work is composed with the deliberate intention of creating rhythmic sensations, often through the repetition of elements like meter, rhyme, or specific sound patterns.
• Prose: In contrast, prose lacks a consistent rhythm or the systematic repetition of elements found in verse. It mirrors the natural flow of everyday speech and writing.

Literary Genres: Categorizing Artistic Expression

Literary genres are categories that allow us to group literary texts based on their common features,... Continue reading "Literature Forms, Genres, and Medieval Literary Periods" »

Camilo José Cela (1916-2002)

Born in Iria Flavia (La Coruña), Camilo José Cela was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1989. His first major success was La familia de Pascual Duarte. This novel exemplifies Tremendismo, a literary current characterized by gruesome arguments, violent scenes, and the use of rural language. La familia de Pascual Duarte is an autobiographical story, told in the first person, where the protagonist recounts his life and the various crimes that led to his death penalty from jail.

Cela's other notable works include Pabellón de reposo, a succession of monologues; Nuevas andanzas y desventuras de Lazarillo de Tormes, a work in the picaresque tradition; and Viaje a la Alcarria, a renowned travel book exploring several... Continue reading "Spanish Literary Giants: Post-War Authors and Their Masterpieces" »

Innovations in Spanish Renaissance Lyric Poetry

The new poetic canon not only renewed the themes but also the manner of expression. Compared to the medieval dodecasyllabic and octosyllabic meters characteristic of traditional songs, the Renaissance popularized the hendecasyllable, which became the most representative meter of learned poetry. The hendecasyllable was often combined with the seven-syllable form in poetic structures such as the lira, silvas, and estancias, all widely used in Renaissance lyric poetry, along with the tercet and quatrain.

Beautiful compositions were written by prominent figures like Garcilaso de la Vega, Fray Luis de León, and San Juan de la Cruz. Garcilaso notably incorporated the Castilian lira (7a 11B 7a 7b 11B)... Continue reading "Renaissance Spanish Lyric: Forms, Figures, and Spirituality" »