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

16th Century Spanish Poetry: Themes and Forms

The 16th century marked a significant period for Spanish poetry. Traditional and lyrical ballads, while often oral, were also widely disseminated through common songbooks. A key date in this era is 1543, which saw the introduction of new poetic genres and themes. These included classical motifs such as:

• Carpe diem (Seize the day)
• Collige, virgo, rosas (Gather, maiden, the roses)
• The Golden Mean
• Beatus ille (Blessed is he)

Mythology also played a prominent role. The predominant theme was love, influenced by philosophy and often detached from purely carnal appetites. Love was depicted as a force that could improve individuals, but also as a source of pain and frustration for the unrequited lover. Common... Continue reading "Spanish Renaissance Literature: Poets, Prose, and Enduring Themes" »

Spanish Poetry: From the Early 20th Century to the Post-War Era

The 19th century closed with the disaster of '98 and the loss of overseas colonies. The history of Spain from that time experienced a period of great activity. In these years, culture reached great splendor, quality, and the role of intellectuals. This period has become known as the *Silver Age* of Spanish culture.

The heroes of these years tend to be classified into generations: Modernism, the Generation of '98, Noucentisme, the Avant-garde, and the Generation of '27. The modernist innovators shared the desire and the need to show their displeasure with the reality that surrounded them. The members of the Generation of '98 had very different styles but had in common an awareness... Continue reading "Spanish Poetry: Early 20th Century to Post-War Era" »

Realistic Theater

Realistic Theater is a tendency in the theater of war. It starts with the story of Antonio Buero Vallejo's A Stairway and ends with Alfonso Sastre's Death Squad. They stage existential conflicts.

Key Features:

• Proposed scenarios reflect the harsh reality of Spain at the time, unlike bourgeois theater, which takes the audience away from that reality.
• It is a formally innovative theater, especially in the beginning, although, over the years, it eventually adopted its own dramatic resources from modern theater.
• It uses resources to achieve viewer identification with characters.
• To avoid censorship, it often used symbolic or allegorical elements to address issues such as lack of freedom and social injustice.
• It places its work in a specific

Novecentismo

A Spanish literary movement whose authors embody the new intellectual who cares about form and pursues pure art, whose sole purpose is aesthetic enjoyment.

Vanguard Movements

Following the Modernist period, the Vanguard movements emerged:

• Futurism: Defends breaking with previous culture, exalting the modern, mechanical, and technical.
• Cubism: Vindicates the autonomy of the artwork; the writer aims to capture the simultaneity of reality.
• Dadaism: Aims to show the absurdity of life.
• Surrealism: Advocates for a total revolution of the human being, seeking transformation through imagination and poetry. It seeks a higher reality beyond aesthetic reason and morality. Its predecessor was the Frenchman André Breton. The pursuit of the irrational

Myths, Legends, and Epic Narratives

The Enduring Power of Storytelling

The origins of myths and legends, passed down through generations via storytelling, are often difficult to determine. Different versions of these narratives gradually formed over time.

Defining Epic Poems

Epic narrative poems are extensive, often anonymous works that recount events in a real or imaginary place in a distant past. They typically represent the collective feelings or identity of a people or nation.

Key Figures in Latin American Literature

Early Literary Trends

• Bonalde's literary trend is primarily poetry.
• Eduardo Blanco, a heroic author, hails from Venezuela.

Criollismo: A Defining Latin American Literary Movement

What is Criollismo?

Criollismo is a significant literary... Continue reading "Criollismo: Latin American Literary Movement and Its Roots" »

Ancient Greek Poleis: A Reflection

The Greek poleis, or city-states, emerged as a new civilization rooted in trade and the adoption of the alphabet. These small, independent entities, unlike the larger Phoenician city-states, numbered around 200 in Greece, compared to the 10-15 in Phoenicia. Commerce was central to their existence. Around 1000-900 BC, these cities thrived in the eastern Mediterranean, encompassing Greece, Turkey (Ionia), Lebanon, and Israel. They dominated Mediterranean trade, mastering navigation and extending their reach to North Africa and the Atlantic. Cities like Siron and Tire (Phoenician) were known for their excellent ports. Unlike Egypt and Mesopotamia, where agriculture was the primary source of wealth, the Phoenicians... Continue reading "Ancient Greek Poleis and Roman Republic: Trade, Governance, and Conflict" »

The Novel from the 1960s

During the 1960s, social realism declined, gradually replaced by new modes of expression, structures, language, and style.

Literary works tended to search in memory, explore personal experience, and reflect states of consciousness. A pivotal year was 1962, with the publication of "Time of Silence" by Luis Martin Santos, which influenced the novelists of the time.

Important influences also included Proust, Joyce, Kafka, and Faulkner.

Characteristics of the Experimental Novel of the 1960s:

• The argument becomes less important; the action is minimal; plausible events are mixed with imaginary or fantastic ones. The story takes precedence.
• The characters undergo profound transformations. For example, the number of secondary characters

Socio-Cultural Context of 19th-Century Spain

In 19th-century Europe, the bourgeoisie consolidated as the dominant social class, often leaning towards conservative positions. Trade and industry experienced strong growth, leading to the emergence of the urban proletariat. Clashes between workers and the bourgeoisie were constant in the second half of the century. This era also saw the rise of positivism, a philosophy arguing that knowledge must be based on empirical data and observation.

Realism in Literature

The term realism is used in art and literature to designate works that attempt to imitate or accurately depict reality. The primary genre of realism is the novel. Realist writers often viewed the novel as "a mirror along the way," basing their... Continue reading "19th-Century Spanish Literature: Realism and Naturalism" »

Federico Garcia Lorca: Theatrical Conception

Coexistence of Poetry and Reality in His Theater

Themes

The subject matter of Federico Garcia Lorca's plays is deeply unified and not different from what unifies his poetry. Critics have summed it up with different formulas: "the myth of impossible desire," the conflict between reality and desire, and "frustration." Lorca stages various tragic passions condemned to loneliness or death, with love often marked by infertility. This theme appears in several works embodied in women, but its scope is broader than that of a "feminist" theater. It is the tragedy of any person sentenced to a sterile life, a life of vital frustration. What frustrates Lorca's characters is situated on two levels: metaphysical... Continue reading "Federico Garcia Lorca's Theatrical Works: Themes, Career, and Style" »

Luis de Góngora

Along with the popular tradition, classical or Petrarchan, Góngora created the most innovative poetic language of the time. His difficult and minority-focused production led to both rejection and fiery polemics, as well as admiration and followers among his readers.

Poetry

Minor art and poetry of Petrarchan poetry:

• Minor Art: Letrillas, romances, and, above all, satirical and burlesque works.
• Sonnets: Themes of love and encouragement to enjoy life in the Petrarchan line, although amended by the consciousness of time. Others are comical, and a third group deals with disappointment and the transience of life.
• Major Poems: Fable of Polyphemus and Galatea, and Solitudes. Polyphemus is based on the version offered by Ovid. Its main