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

Mester de Clerecía

Traditionally, medieval poetry of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries was divided into two blocks:

• Mester de Clerecía: Works by educated poets, cultivated sources, regular verse, and a university poetic school.
• Mester de Juglaría: Works by popular authors, intuitive inspiration, irregular verse, and anonymous authors.

The cuaderna vía was used to express during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. Its features are:

• Unoriginal themes, religious or mythical, but sometimes with a lyrical purpose.
• Moral and didactic purpose.
• Metric: Cuaderna vía is used (four Alexandrine verses in consonant rhyme: 14A, 14A, 14A, 14A).
• Oral transmission or reading aloud.
• Cultivated and careful language.

Authors

• 13th Century: Gonzalo de Berceo,

Analysis of Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer's Rima XIII

External Structure

The poem is written in hendecasyllabic verse with a polymetric structure. The first three verses are heptasílabos, and the fourth is hendecasyllabic, grouped into three quatrains. These assonance rhyme in pairs. This verse structure is consistent throughout the poem, creating a sense of unity. The rhythm is primarily iambic, with the accent falling on the second syllable of each foot.

A soft enjambment appears between verses 2 and 3: Verb + Direct Object.

The text is primarily descriptive.

Internal Structure

The poem is organized into three parts. Although all three parts refer to the eyes, the impression the poet receives is conditioned by the emotion of the beloved: laughter, tears,... Continue reading "Analysis of Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer's Rima XIII" »

Joan Maragall: A Literary Journey Through Catalan Identity

Early Life and Influences

Joan Maragall (Barcelona 1860-1911) was a prominent Catalan poet. He was a member of the Barcelona intelligentsia and experienced both the Renaissance (a Catalan cultural movement in the 19th century) and Noucentism (a moderate response to the approaches promoted by Modernism). He translated works by Goethe, Novalis, and Nietzsche.

*Visions, Intermezzo, and Songs* (1900)

Maragall's book *Visions and Songs* was published in 1900. The book is divided into two parts, "Visions" and "Songs", with a collection of poems titled *Intermezzo*.

*Visions***

• Evil Hunter
• John Garí
• Count Arnau
• The Beloved Don James
• Serrallonga

*Intermezzo*

• At the End
• Our Lady of Montserrat
• San Ramon Song
• The

Novel in Exile and its Aftermath

The memory of Spain and its consequences, the causes and effects of the war, and references to the places and countries where living conditions are frequent issues for all authors who experienced exile. Among the exiled writers, whose books were long banned by censors, are some of the most important novelists of the postwar period.

• Ramón J. Sender: Chronicles of Dawn
• Rosa Chacel: District of Wonder
• Max Aub: The Magic Labyrinth
• Francisco Ayala: (not set)

1940s: Existentialism and Sentimentalism

The existential novel emerged, with published novels that, although triumphant, included the war from the perspective of the victors. There were also sentimental novels, very far from the prevailing desolation, anguish, and... Continue reading "Spanish Post-War Novel: Exile, Realism, and Experimentation" »

1. Sociological Context

Miguel Hernández (1910-1942)

Orihuela (Alicante)

Miguel Hernández was born around the year 1910 in Orihuela, a small city bathed by the waters of the Segura River. His birth coincided with the peak of anarcho-syndicalism in Spain, and his death with the consolidation of the Francoist regime. Orihuela was a city divided by social classes, and unfortunately, Hernández was not born into a wealthy or prestigious family. His family's limited resources came from the sale of milk produced by the cows and sheep his father grazed.

After three years, his father's business partner, Uncle Corro, died, leaving the family with little money. This forced them to move to a new home better suited for livestock farming in the mountains.... Continue reading "Miguel Hernández: A Life Forged in Poetry and Politics" »

XIII. Your Pupil is Blue

Subject

Fullness: Loving, hopeful, evokes feelings of love.

Possibility: To find the inner truth and love through the eyes of a woman.

Summary

Beauty corresponds to the woman's sentiments, to delicacy. Through the eyes, one can know the feelings. Elements are identified with nature.

Structure

We can divide the poem into three parts:

• Part 1 (Verse 1): Sentimental woman, a woman who laughs.
• Part 2 (Stanza 2): Sentimental woman, a woman who cries, who transmits sadness.
• Part 3 (Verse 3): Intelligent male ("radiates an idea"). The woman thinks novelty because she does not lose time. Women feel but also think.

Commentary

With respect to the analysis of this poem and its resources, we can highlight:

• Anaphora: 1st stanza, 2nd stanza, 3rd

History of Rome

The primitive people of the Italic Peninsula were the Ligurians. These, in turn, were dominated by the Etruscans.

These people remained politically in the peninsula until 509 BC in the form of a monarchy. There were seven Etruscan kings, the last being Tarquin "the Proud".

The end of the monarchy came about without revolution or bloodshed. During the Etruscan monarchy, Rome was founded around seven hills: Capitoline, Celio, Esquiline, Aventine, Quirinal, Viminal, and Palatine (Rome was founded on the Palatine).

Foundation of Rome

1. Legend of Romulus & Remus.
2. Political, economic & social factors.

The triumph of the social revolution was led by the Patricians (the upper class, who were the richest). They controlled political power... Continue reading "Ancient Rome: From Legend to Republic" »

Spanish Romance (14th Century)

1. Definition

The term "romance" refers to vernacular compositions, distinct from Latin texts. These lyrical narratives were originally sung, composed of indefinite series of eight-syllable lines with assonant rhymes in even-numbered lines, while odd-numbered lines remain unrhymed. This ballad meter is reminiscent of epics, with each verse of romance corresponding to a hemistich of song. These compositions share characteristics with traditional lyrical ballads transmitted orally, often with variations. They are considered anonymous not necessarily because the author's name is unknown, but because they belong to a popular tradition, with each reciter adapting them. Romance is a hybrid genre, blending elements... Continue reading "Spanish Romance of the 14th Century: A Deep Dive" »

Diachronic Varieties: Causes of Linguistic Change in the Iberian Peninsula

Pre-Roman Hispania

Before the arrival of the Romans, diverse languages were spoken on the peninsula, including Celtic, Iberian, and Basque. All except Basque disappeared after the expansion of Latin. Currently, some remnants of these languages are preserved (e.g., stream, pond, Segovia).

The Roman Empire

In 218 BC, Roman forces landed in Ampurias and, over two centuries, completed the conquest of the peninsula. With them came the use of Latin, which marked the beginning of the linguistic unity of Spain.

The Germanic Invasions

The 5th century corresponds to the fall of the Roman Empire. Peoples like the Suebi, Vandals, Alans, and Visigoths invaded the Iberian Peninsula and... Continue reading "Evolution of Languages in the Iberian Peninsula" »