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

Francisco Quevedo

Francisco Quevedo y Villegas was born in Madrid in 1580. He became famous at a young age and participated in various political intrigues. He later retired, ill, to Torre Juan de Abad. He died in Villanueva de los Infantes (Ciudad Real) in 1645 and is considered the highest representative of the conceptismo style.

His style is characterized by a masterful use of language, irony, parody, puns, and metaphors. He also uses vulgar and colloquial expressions, adopting a playful attitude towards language. His works include:

• Love poems, both idealized and torn visions of love.
• Moral and philosophical poems addressing the passage of time, the transience of life, and death.
• Satirical and burlesque poems, which caricature different aspects

Poetry of Modernism

Modernism is an aesthetic renovation. It is a synthesis of Parnassianism, with its taste for the refined, and Symbolism, with its taste for music, a tendency to incorporate symbols and sensory images.

In Spain, it began with Ruben Dario. It is characterized by the pursuit of beauty to escape everyday realities.

Characteristics:

• The creator is disturbed by society, is inclined to solitude and privacy, and moves away from reality.
• It has an anti-bourgeois, anti-realist stance, and tries to create an anti-vulgar, aristocratic, elegant, and exotic art.
• Favorite environments are classical antiquity, the medieval world, and the legendary.
• It has a formal cult of beauty.

Themes

Themes range widely from classical to modern and medieval romance.... Continue reading "Modernist Poetry and the Generation of '98 in Spain" »

Novecentismo and the Generation of '14

The Novecentismo movement, also known as the Generation of '14, sought to revitalize Spanish art and literature. These authors championed "pure art," an aesthetic detached from Romantic sentimentality. This dehumanized approach, with art existing for its own sake, was a key principle. Philosopher José Ortega y Gasset and Catalan writer Eugeni d'Ors were central figures in this movement.

Poetry

Juan Ramón Jiménez, a prominent poet of this era, saw his work evolve through three distinct phases:

• Sensory Phase: Works like Water Lilies showcase the influence of Modernism, blended with Jiménez's unique poetic voice.
• Intellectual Phase: This period features prose poems like Platero and I, exploring themes of

Miguel Hernández: Life, Love, and Death in Poetry

Miguel Hernández, while stylistically aligned with the Generation of '27, is considered part of the post-war generation due to his age and poetic career. He died in 1942. His predominant themes are life, love, and death. His poetic journey can be divided into four stages:

• First Compositions: Rooted in traditional *culteranismo*. Example: Perito en lunas (1933).
• Love Poetry: The most representative work is El rayo que no cesa (1934-1935), which includes the impressive "Elegy to Ramón Sijé."
• Poetry and Social Commitment: Viento del Pueblo (1937).
• Poetry of Recent Years: After the war, Miguel Hernández wrote most of Cancionero y romancero de ausencias (1938-1941) in jail.

Some of Miguel Hernández'... Continue reading "Miguel Hernández and Post-War Spanish Poetry: A Deep Dive" »

Introduction to the Maison Carrée

The Maison Carrée is a pseudoperipteral Roman temple located in the urban area of Nîmes, France. Its construction dates back to the time of Agrippa, around 16 BC. The original author of this description is anonymous.

Construction Materials

The Maison Carrée was built using materials such as marble, particularly for its upper sections and decorative elements.

Architectural System and Details

The temple's construction system is based on wall lintels and features Corinthian columns. It utilizes a base derived from the Attic base. The capitals are adorned with three rows of acanthus leaves, with each leaf in the upper rows placed between two leaves of the bottom row. At the center, a rosette is found between the... Continue reading "The Maison Carrée: Roman Temple in Nîmes" »

Rome: Republic and Empire

Roman Art

Roman art adopted Greek forms, creating a realistic and sober style that prioritized practicality and functionality over pure aesthetics.

Roman Architecture

• Imitated Greek models, emphasizing practicality and functionality in large cities and public buildings.
• Utilized arches and barrel vaults.
• Common materials included brick, marble, and concrete.
• Combined architectural orders.
• Civil architecture was more prominent than religious architecture.

Arches and Vaults

Used in homes and temples, these structures were often clad with exterior marble panels. The Colosseum exemplifies a composite order, featuring Doric on the first floor, Ionic on the second, and Corinthian on the third.

Civil Architecture

Cities

Initially agricultural,... Continue reading "Roman Architecture and Art: Republic and Empire" »

Ángel Fieramente Humano: Postwar Revelation

Ángel fieramente humano was identified by critics of the 50s for its originality. Dámaso Alonso proclaimed that poetry "as uprooted" as one of the three or four revelations of postwar Spanish lyric. The title of the work comes from a sonnet by Góngora: "porque el ángel es fieramente humano."

In these torn poems, Blas de Otero discusses the post-war man's anguished existence, the existence of humanity in ruins.

The poet crying in Ángel fieramente humano is no longer merely a subject but raises his rebellion against pain, in the midst of solitude.

The themes of love, the mortal condition of man, anguish, and loneliness run throughout the book. God is the representative of the power of distance and... Continue reading "Blas de Otero's Poetic Trajectory: Anguish, Society, Spain" »

Aesthetic Affinities of the Generation of '27

Aesthetic affinities between the components of the Generation of '27:

• From dehumanization and human authenticity: the human concern is increasing, not to mention the aesthetic requirements.
• Among the tightness and clarity: the cultured and popular.
• Among the intellectual and the emotional: emotion restrained by the intellect.
• Between the universal and the Spanish: receptivity to foreign poetry and poetry with strong national roots.
• Between tradition and renewal: combine art with respect for tradition (J.R.J., Bécquer, Góngora, etc.).

Themes of the Generation of '27

• The city: comfort and frivolities, inventions, communications, transport, etc.
• Nature: near the city or assumed by it. From exile, the reason

Baroque Lyricism in the 17th Century

Features

• The artist seeks original creation, leading to the admiration of the reader.
• Tends towards balance, exaggeration, and the expression of strong contrasts.
• Nature and harmony are not considered a reflection of divine order.

Themes

• Love: Inspired by the Petrarchan ideal, but often appears with a tone of despair.
• Nature: No longer seen as an ideal world, an image of the divine, but used simply as a decorative background.
• Mythological Legends: Become topical and are used continuously, sometimes mechanically.
• Disappointment: Fear of the transience of time and pessimistic thoughts about death. Avoids ordinary burlesque.

Culteranismo

Seeks to impress the reader by using exaggerated language and literary devices.... Continue reading "Baroque Lyricism and Theater in the 17th Century" »