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

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

Understanding Verbal and Nonverbal Communication

Notice: Verbal and nonverbal communication involves spontaneous activity between two or more partners, incorporating both verbal and nonverbal elements. The conversation is regulated while developing and occurs in direct and shift.

Structure of Conversation

• Open Greetings: Initiating the conversation
• Core of the Conversation: The objective of the discussion
• Ending the Conversation: Concluding remarks

Vowel Usage in Catalan

The vowels E and A are neutral and unstressed. There are specific rules regarding nominal endings:

• Final vowel e for male names
• Final vowel for female names
• In plural words, ending in a neutral vowel e is written with verbal es.

Verbal Forms and Their Endings

Verbal forms end in a neutral... Continue reading "Understanding Verbal and Nonverbal Communication in Catalan" »

Neotrobadorismo: Galician medieval revival

Neotrobadorismo is a movement born from the popularization of medieval Galician lyric poetry. It appears early in the 20th century through the publication of various studies and anthologies. This revival produced important Galician output and brought knowledge of medieval poets back to contemporary readers.

Bouza Brey and medieval lyric adaptation

One notable modernizer is Bouza Brey, who introduced his own lyric poems while reconnecting with the medieval world. He reproduces and adapts poetic verses and medieval forms, preserving formal meters and features in collections such as Procedemento, Nao, Senlleira and Seitura. Bouza Brey often works within traditional shapes such as the ballad; he reproduces... Continue reading "Neotrobadorismo and Galician Avant-Garde Poets: Cunqueiro & Manuel Antonio" »

The Galician Theater in the 20th Century: Trends, Authors, and Works

A) Theater Before the Civil War (1882–1936)

The first theatrical debut in Galician dates back to the work of Antonio Mª de la Iglesia in early 1882. In the 20th century, until the era of the *Irmandades da Fala* (Brotherhoods of the Galician Language), the few existing writings show an almost exclusively rural, highly *costumbrista* (local customs) ambiance. This was village theater, often dealing with local topics, written in verse, which sought comic contrast between the Galician peasants and the *señoritos* (gentry).

The number and quality of authors and works increased significantly from 1916, thanks to the orientation provided by the *Irmandades da Fala*. Key works of... Continue reading "Galician Theater in the 20th Century: Trends, Authors, and Works" »

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" »

The Early Life and Ancestry of Julius Caesar

Gaius Julius Caesar was born into the famous Julia family of Rome. According to legend, the goddess Venus was an ancestor of this lineage. In fact, Venus was the mother of Aeneas, the Trojan prince. Aeneas was the forefather of Romulus and Remus, and the Julian family was founded by his son, Iulus, from whom they derived their name and divine descent.

The Social Standing of the Julian Family

Undoubtedly a noble family, the Julio-Claudians were nonetheless not particularly wealthy by the standards of the Roman aristocracy. For this reason, for a long time, the family had not achieved any first-class political posts. However, in Caesar's father's generation, the family's wealth and position were recovered,... Continue reading "The Rise of Julius Caesar and the Julian Lineage" »

Features of the Generation of '98

a) Concept of generation

The following assumptions must be met for a group of authors to be considered a generation:

• Contemporaries: For example, between the oldest (Unamuno) and the youngest (Machado) there is only an 11-year difference.
• Similar intellectual formation: They all received the same influences and had common concerns.
• Similar intellectual traits: They share similar intellectual facts; they received the same influences and had common concerns.
• Shared historical event: A general fact unites them all: the Disaster of 1898.
• Spiritual guide: There must be a leader or spiritual guide; in this case it was Miguel de Unamuno.

b) Issues

Their love of Spain leads them to analyze the causes of decline through three... Continue reading "Generation of '98: Themes, Authors, and Literary Style" »

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" »

The Roman Empire: Origins

The Roman Empire was a territory conquered by the city of Rome. The River Tiber forms a meander near its mouth around seven hills. The Etruscans, a people from the center of Italy, conquered the seven hills in the 7^th century BC and turned the small villages into a real city: Rome. This is the origin of the Roman Empire.

The Etruscan Monarchy and the Birth of the Republic

In the beginning, Rome was ruled by seven kings. The last monarchs were Etruscans. The king was assisted by a Senate. Rome clashed with different Etruscan cities, which it defeated. The Romans threw out the Etruscan monarchs and established the Republic in 509 BC.

A Period of Conquest

The citizens met in assemblies called Comitia to pass laws and to elect... Continue reading "History of the Roman Empire: Republic to Decline" »