Notes, abstracts, papers, exams and problems of Latin

Federico Garcia Lorca

Lorca's drama is written in verse and prose and is characterized by tragic lyrical feeling. Frustration, love, and unsatisfied desire are recurring themes in his theater. Among his works are farces such as The Shoemaker's Prodigious Wife, historical dramas like Mariana Pineda, avant-garde theater such as The Public, and rural tragedies like Yerma, Blood Wedding, and The House of Bernarda Alba. In his avant-garde theater, the playwright delves into experimental theater with The Public, a work that explores passionate love.

His rural tragedies include Blood Wedding, a play about the impossibility of love due to social differences; Yerma, a work where motherhood is frustrated and stressed; and The House of Bernarda Alba, considered... Continue reading "Federico Garcia Lorca, Unamuno, Azorín, and Baroja: Spanish Literature" »

The Trial of Paris

Aphrodite appears alongside Hera and Athena. Two cherubs accompany her. Eris, angered by not being invited to a wedding, sows discord among the guests. Zeus decides to let Paris, a young Trojan prince, choose the most beautiful goddess. Hermes, the messenger god, presents Paris with the apple of discord.

Perseus and Andromeda

Perseus and his mother, Danae, are saved and find refuge in a kingdom. The king desires Danae, but Perseus, aided by Athena and Hermes, defeats the king. On his journey, Perseus rescues Andromeda from a monstrous dragon. The two cherubs symbolize their love. Upon returning, Perseus uses Medusa's head to turn the king to stone. He then founds Mycenae.

Diana and Callisto

Callisto, a nymph, becomes pregnant... Continue reading "Mythological Tales: Paris, Perseus, Diana, and Vulcan" »

History as a Literary Genre

The Greek word "history" means investigation of facts. Greeks interpreted it as a narrative of true events. However, in early Rome, a high degree of patriotism prevented historians from sticking to the facts of the matter. Roman historiography has a moralizing character, emphasizing the mores maiorum, the customs inherited from ancestors. Cicero considered history IUF Magistra. In Cicero's opinion, history was oratorium maxime opus, the maximum expression of oratory skill.

Origins of Roman Historiography

The Annales Pontificum were notes taken by the Pontifex Maximus on a white table called an album to commemorate events worthy of remembrance. Later, the term Annales was used for accounts of events prior to the historian'... Continue reading "Roman Historiography: From Origins to the Republic" »

Romanticism and the Rise of Liberal Society

The late 18th century saw the rise of liberalism. The ancien régime was replaced by liberal society, and the aristocracy gradually ceded power to the bourgeoisie, a process accelerated by the fall of Napoleon. The Industrial Revolution further fueled these changes. Revolutionary waves occurred in 1820, 1830, and 1848, each time reinforcing liberal ideals. In Spain, after the death of Ferdinand VII, industrialization and urbanization were still in their early stages within a predominantly rural society.

Nationalism's Influence on Romanticism

Nationalism, the right of peoples to constitute themselves as nations, had two main aspects: an inspiration drawn from liberal and democratic ideals, and a conservative,... Continue reading "Romanticism in Spain: Literature, Society, and Key Authors" »

Medieval Spanish Literature

Castilian Prose

Alfonso X the Wise played a crucial role in the development of Castilian prose, elevating it to the status of a language of culture. His contributions included standardizing spelling, enhancing syntactic flexibility, and enriching vocabulary. Various writers contributed historical, legal, and scientific treatises.

Medieval Poetry

Two main types of poetry existed:

• Traditional Folk Poetry:

  Characterized by its traditional, collective, and evolving nature, it could be oral or written.

• Learned Poetry:

  Attributed to individual, known authors, and primarily written.

Lyrical Folk-Traditional Poetry

This oral tradition includes:

• Jarchas (mid-11th to first half of the 14th century, written in Mozarabic)
• Cantigas de

Baroque Metrics and Poetic Style

The predominant verse is the endecasílabo (eleven-syllable line). Both assonance and consonance rhyme are used. Common stanzas include the quartet, the tercet, the quatrain, and the cultured décima.

The primary cultured poetic form is the sonnet, of Italian origin, introduced into Spain by Juan Boscán. Since then, the sonnet has been cultivated by all the great writers of Spanish literature.

The popular metric form is the romance, a strophic poem with octosyllabic verses and assonance rhyme, originating in Spanish literature during the Middle Ages as a development from the chanson de geste (16 syllables = 8+8).

Regarding style, difficulty is perhaps the concept that best defines the aesthetic ideal of Baroque... Continue reading "Spanish Baroque Literature: Poetic Styles and Key Authors" »

Spanish Literature in the Early 20th Century

Key Authors and Movements

José Martínez Ruiz (Azorín)

Works: Towns, Route of Don Quixote, Castilla, Clásicos. Apart from these, he shows his personal style, characterized by simplicity and precision, along with the employment of short sentences and a wealth of lexicon. His three fundamental issues are time and meditations on the transience of things, the landscape of Spain (described with great lyricism and emotion), and literature.

Pío Baroja

A constant critic of cruelty, stupidity, and the evil of society. His memoirs include: Youth, Ego Trip, and Since the Last Round of the Road.

Antonio Machado

Excels as an essayist with his work Juan de Mairena, where he outlines his religious, philosophical,... Continue reading "Spanish Literature in the Early 20th Century: Key Authors and Movements" »

Spanish Literature Overview

Poetry

Garcilaso de la Vega (1st Half of 16th Century)

Works: Sonnets, Eclogues (pastoral poems)
Themes: Love (lady's indifference, lover's pain), Nature (stylized setting for love complaints)
Style: Clear, simple, elegant, harmonious. Predominantly hendecasyllable verse, alliteration, musical hyperbaton.

Fray Luis de León (1st Half of 16th Century)

Prose:
Translations: Song of Songs
Original Works: The Perfect Wife
Poetry:
Translations: Passages from the Book of Job
Original Poems: Less than 40, mostly lyrical compositions with varied themes and structures.
Themes: Nature, longing for country life, night's music (influenced by Beatus Ille)
Style: Lira verse, hyperbole, alliteration, hyperbaton, metaphor, personification. Frequent... Continue reading "Spanish Literature: Golden Age and Medieval Classics" »

J.V. Foix (1893-1987)

Josep Vicenç Foix, born in Sarrià in 1893, signed his works as J.V. Foix. He abandoned his law studies and dedicated his life to culture. Although his main activity was literature, he participated in politics as a nationalist, was interested in contemporary painting, and was involved in sports at the Catalan Flying Club. The roots of his native town, the countryside, Catalonia, and his faithfulness to his language are elements that give meaning to his work. He died in 1987.

His work includes articles on political and aesthetic considerations, such as "Some Avant-Garde Literature" (1925). His main work belongs to the poetic prose genre, as well as verse:

1. Poetic Prose: He planned to collect 365 pieces, but only 208 are conserved.

Key Aspects of Medieval Culture

Theocentricism: In medieval Christian society, everything revolved around religion, influencing lives and literature.

Middle Ages: A period spanning from the 5th to the late 15th century.

The Clergy: The literate class during the Middle Ages, driving education.

Feudalism: Production based on a natural and agricultural economy, tending toward self-sufficiency.

Orality: Medieval works often contain appeals to listeners and repetitions.

Monasteries: After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, written culture found refuge in monasteries.

Author Anonymity: Medieval books were manuscripts, and authors were often anonymous.

Secularization: In the late Middle Ages, written culture expanded beyond ecclesiastical walls.

Universities: