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

The Metric, Language, and Style of the Poem of the Cid

Over 3,000 verses in the Poem of the Cid are grouped into assonant monorhyme stanzas of varying lengths, ranging from 2 to 90 lines. The lines are irregular and divided into two hemistiches by a strong caesura, often represented graphically by a separation. The most common hemistiches have 6, 7, or 8 syllables.

The poem's language emphasizes clarity, specificity, and simplicity of expression. Minstrel features include frequent invocations of listeners, exclamatory expressions suggesting an audience, and a steady narrative pace. The oral tradition also explains the free use of verb forms and the use of epic epithets and appositions, which magnify the heroes, especially the Cid. Parallels to... Continue reading "Poem of the Cid: A Literary and Historical Analysis" »

Poema del Mio Cid

An epic poem recounting the story of Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar, El Cid, a Castilian nobleman of the 11th century. The poem details the loss and recovery of the Cid's honor after being unjustly banished by King Alfonso VI. It is divided into three parts:

Song of the Exile

The poem begins with the Cid and his subjects leaving their land. In exile, he engages in battles against both Arabs and Christians. This section portrays him as a warrior hero with great humanity.

Song of the Marriage

After several victories, the Cid conquers Valencia. He sends a share of the spoils to King Alfonso VI, who forgives him and arranges the marriage of the Cid's daughters to the Heirs of Carrion.

Song of the Afrenta of Corpes

The Heirs of Carrion, accused... Continue reading "Medieval Spanish Literature: El Cid, Miracles, Love, and More" »

Social and Historical Context of the 1920s

The literature of the 1920s in Buenos Aires was disseminated and discussed, with a clear distinction made before the public. Writers were grouped into two main streams:

Florida Group

(Street of leisure) This group looked towards Europe and the aesthetic developments of the postwar period.

Boedo Group

(Street factory) This group looked towards Russia and embraced the dream of universal revolution.

Buenos Aires in 1920

The city rapidly transformed into a modern setting due to heavy immigration, which revolutionized society, especially the porteña population. The majority of immigrants were Spanish and Italian, but there were also other nationalities. Immigrants and their children benefited from increased literacy... Continue reading "1920s Buenos Aires: Literary Movements, Youth, and Borges' Symbols" »

Pre-Theater 1936: Trends and Groups

The different groups and trends in the theater prior to 1936 are:

1. Bourgeois Comedy

Jacinto Benavente was its most representative author. He offered a theater with a greater interest in conversational dialogue and a more realistic tone.

The characters were bourgeois, and the topics covered were typical conflicts such as unrequited love and infidelity.

Among his works are "La Gobernadora" (The Housekeeper) and "Lo Inquilino" (The Unloved), a kind of theater that develops a violent world of uncontrolled passions for urban education.

2. Poetic Theater

It arises from modernism. It is a scene of pure evasion that retrieves historical and legendary themes.

Eduardo Marquina highlights "Las Hijas del Cid" (The Daughters... Continue reading "Spanish Theater Trends Before 1936: Key Playwrights & Movements" »

Understanding Literary Concepts and Spanish Postwar Novel

Key Literary Definitions

• Context: The set of words that precede or follow a text word or phrase, influencing its meaning.
• Location: The set of circumstances in which a language message is issued, affecting the determination of its meaning.

The Spanish Novel: Evolution and Characteristics

The novel is the literary genre that has most stood out in recent decades. Spanish narrators were divided into two groups: those in exile and those on the mainland. Among the authors in exile, the predominant theme was the Civil War and its aftermath. The novel evolves over decades, similar to the progression of other genres, with authors like Miguel Delibes and Carmen Martín Gaite.

The Novel in the 1940s

The... Continue reading "Spanish Novel Evolution: Postwar Eras and Literary Forms" »

Literary Language

Literary use of language: In the poetic function, literary language dominates, influencing both the content and its expression.

Characteristic Features

They can be grouped into two categories:

1. Deviation from the norm: A departure from normal language use.
2. Connotative or suggestive language: Language that suggests meanings through subjective associations, prevalent in lyrical poetry via metaphors or symbols.

Verse and Prose

Literary works are presented in two rhythmic forms: verse and prose. Verse adheres to a fixed rhythmic structure, while prose is not subject to a specific pattern.

Literary Genres

Lyric

The author expresses their subjectivity, feelings, or thoughts in the first person. It is often expressed in verse and includes original... Continue reading "Literary Language, Genres, and Forms" »

Galician New Narrative: 1960s-1970s

A heterogeneous group of authors and works from the 1960s and 1970s, including Gonzalo Rodríguez Mourullo, Xosé Luis Méndez Ferrín, Carlos Casares, and Xosé María Queizán, provided a thorough review of the trends of the preceding narrative.

Common Features

The authors, often with university degrees, were closely linked to nationalist ideology and knowledgeable about European narrative trends.

Narrator

Often a first-person narrator, focusing on introspection or detailed examination.

Protagonist

Often appears uprooted and overwhelmed by their own conscience or unknown circumstances.

Space

Becomes indefinite and intangible, contrasting with specific, known locations. Rural space dominates, acquiring symbolic importance... Continue reading "Galician New Narrative: Authors & Features (60s-70s)" »

The Roman Republic: Foundations of Ancient Governance

Tradition holds that after the expulsion of the Etruscan king Tarquinius Superbus, the Roman Republic was established. Its first two rulers were Lucius Junius Brutus and Lucius Tarquinius Collatinus. With the end of the monarchy, a republican system of government was installed, based on citizen choice. This system, which included citizen assemblies and magistrates (some with judicial roles), along with the Greek model, serves as a direct historical reference for modern democratic political systems.

The Roman Republic's governmental structure was characterized by three core principles for its magistrates: annuality (holding office for one year), collegiality (sharing power with at least one... Continue reading "Roman Republic and Senate: Governance in Ancient Rome" »

Realism

From the second half of the nineteenth century, a new movement began, Realism, which represented a reaction to the Romantic writers of Romanticism. Instead of seeking a subjective contemplation of reality, the authors gave a more objective, realistic view. Throughout Europe, a series of social changes were taking place, including the emergence of the proletariat. Realist writers began to report the negative consequences of these changes.

Characteristics of Realism:

• They prefer factual descriptions and dialogues that characterize the characters.
• The protagonists are ordinary men and women.
• Works have a social intent and subject matter drawn from reality.
• Narrative grows mostly.
• In France, Balzac and Flaubert are highlighted, with Madame Bovary.

Influences

A) Hispanic Roots: Literary modernism was born in Latin America with authors like José Martí and Rubén Darío.

B) The Influence of Parnassianism and Symbolism:

• Parnassianism: Parnassians sought, above all, the formal perfection of the literary work. It represents an attempt to escape from the reality of their time through the creation of an artificial reality where only beauty matters.
• Symbolism: Symbolism is an art form against which reality is merely represented. Symbolists intend to go beyond what can be perceived by the senses. Their mission is to find those other realities that exist behind the apparent reality and struggle with language to suggest them to the reader through the musicality of the text (literary resources).

C)