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

Renaissance Literature

Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592)

Montaigne's essays hold immense importance as they pioneered a fruitful literary genre. His introspective writing reflects his individuality, a hallmark of humanist thought, exploring the 'ego' in the context of human existence. Key characteristics of Montaigne's essays include their free-flowing form, incorporation of diverse topics, digressions, and use of quotations. The essay, as a genre, is typically concise in its treatment of a subject.

The Renaissance (Early 16th - Late 17th Century)

Key Features:

1. Resurgence of Platonic ideals of goodness, beauty, and art, representing a utopian ideal.
2. Focus on the theme of love, influenced by Petrarchism.
3. Influence of Aristotle's Poetics (tragedy and

Spanish Realism: Historical Context and Characteristics

Realistic literature reflects the historical, socioeconomic, and cultural development of Spain between 1868 and 1874. This period saw a democratic revolution, beginning with the overthrow of Isabel II and including the Regency of General Serrano, the brief parliamentary monarchy under Amadeo I, and the First Republic. The era ended with a coup that returned the crown to the Bourbons, initiating the Restoration with the reign of Alfonso XII.

Socioeconomic and Cultural Changes

Economically, Spain experienced industrial development and increased trade. Socially, there was a progressive rise of the bourgeoisie, and industrialization led to the growth of the proletariat. Significant discoveries... Continue reading "Spanish Realism in Literature: 19th-Century Society" »

The Triumph of Bacchus: Stages of Inebriation

It has been said that each figure represents a different stage of a binge. Their cheerful and euphoric faces are further worsened until they reach the full state of Bacchus's drunkenness. Bacchus himself is depicted sitting on a barrel of wine, presiding over the scene.

The Spinners: The Myth of Arachne and Athena

The Spinners depicts the story of Arachne and her dispute with Athena. The young Arachne was a highly skilled weaver, admired by everyone. People from all over praised her, suggesting she might even be Athena, the goddess of the arts, herself. Proud of her talent, Arachne would not willingly accept the compliment, as she believed Athena had little to teach her.

The goddess appeared to Arachne... Continue reading "Masterpieces of Mythology in Classical Painting" »

Literary Movements and Key Works

15th Century Poetry

• Cancionero Poetry

  Conceived as a courtly love game within literature, where the poet assumed the role of a servant to his lady, directing verses adorned with ingenuity and conceptual development.

• Allegorical Poetry

  Addressed philosophical themes such as wealth, fame, or death, developed with a high and often artificial style.

• Notable 15th Century Poets

  Most important 15th-century poets include Jorge Manrique and Fernando de Rojas.

• Early Drama: La Celestina

  Fernando de Rojas's dramatic dialogue, often considered a precursor to the novel, featuring complex characters and themes.

Renaissance Poetry

• Stylistic Characteristics

  Based on simplicity and clarity of expression, pursuing the naturalness of spoken

Rhyme II: Analysis and Interpretation

Historical Context

This rhyme, published in the Monthly Universal Museum journal (1886), is possibly based on the work of French writer Lamartine.

Metrical Structure

The verses are octosyllabic, with assonant rhyme in the free odd lines.

Central Theme

The poem serves to present a perceptive romantic perspective that reveals disorientation, with the poetic subject seemingly misplaced in the wrong century's development.

Symbolism: The Harp

The harp is used to express the idea of poetic creation. The poet, like the harp in poetry, has a mind that is asleep, just as music sleeps within the instrument's strings. The poem begins with a description of the harp, but the central issue of the stanza is placed at the end.... Continue reading "Literary Analysis: Romanticism, Metrical Forms, and Poetic Themes" »

Medieval Spanish Lyric and Epic Poetry

The lyric was composed to be recited but also to be sung. It was always accompanied by music and gentlemen troubadours. Clerics or nobles from southern France originated the courtly lyric, with the Provencal language and artistic intention. The beloved theme was the court. Idealization of love pays homage and creates a code where the poet devotes his life to love, not to praise a lady who reciprocates. This is the lyric of Provence.

Lirica Mozarabic: Christians lived in Muslim territory, and jarchas were preserved, an ancient manifestation of European literature. These short, learned poems were inserted at the end of Hebrew or Arab moaxajas. They show Christian coexistence and relations with Muslims. The... Continue reading "Medieval Spanish Lyric and Epic Poetry: Forms and Themes" »

The Baroque Cultural Movement in 17th Century Spain

The Baroque cultural movement took place across Europe in the seventeenth century. In Spain, it formed the latter part of the Golden Age (Siglo de Oro), characterized by a sense of decline. This situation is perfectly reflected by a literary genre effect: the picaresque novel. Pessimism and disappointment were the dominant feelings, with rebellion or escape often presented as the only exits.

Stemming from these values, there was a strong taste for moral and religious issues, dominated by the religious spirit of the Counter-Reformation. In art and literature, one appreciates formal and elaborate complication. In Spain, two primary stylistic trends were implemented: Conceptismo and Culteranismo.... Continue reading "Spanish Baroque Literature: Decline and Innovation in the Golden Age" »

Don Quixote: A Literary Analysis

Editions:

• 1st Edition: 1605, as The Ingenious Hidalgo Don Quixote de la Mancha. Includes a foreword and 52 chapters in 4 parts.
• 2nd Edition: 1615, featuring knight Don Quixote. Includes a prologue and 74 chapters without division.

Sources: Besides the narrative models in the initial chapters, the work shows the influence of an anonymous 16th-century romance interlude.

Prologue: Cervantes' Intent

Cervantes states his initial intention to critique the poorly written and unbelievable novels of chivalry. He parodies the chivalric genre, making chivalric narration an essential ingredient of the book.

Structure of the Novel

The main action is organized into three parts: the first and second in the first half, and the third... Continue reading "Don Quixote: Analysis of Themes, Structure, and Narrative" »

One Morning

He explains how he saved Rollat's breakfast with Teresa and Armanda in Masdeu. He went to get breakfast for her, but she had died. Masdeu got a red tie to celebrate it but was very sad. We noticed how the garden was slowly deteriorating, and its initial color.

Youth

It is the memory of Teresa. He remembers the first day he fell in love with Masdeu, explaining step by step how they met. At the foot of a dune, he saw a portrait and bent down to pick it up: it was a guy dressed in a garment, underpinning a rifle with a bayonet, puffing on a drum. A voice asked, "Do you like it?" He turned and was in front of the rifle that the soldier was holding in Masdeu.

They also explain how the love between the two developed to the point that Teresa... Continue reading "Sofia's Journey: Love, Loss, and Legacy in Valldaura" »

Minstrelsy

El juglar's life combined visits to castles and wandering travels to aldeas. For money, they reported on current events to a public eager for news (informational function) and entertained to show a wide range of skills like circus games and acrobatics (role games). This was the most neglected and spontaneous art, which served both the clergy and the illiterate population, known as the mester de juglaría.

Epic Poems: First Manifestations

Epic poems: These are the first manifestations of the medieval epic (later in the Late Middle Ages they become fragmented and the romances arise). According to Menéndez Pidal, they have their origin in certain songs of the barbarians; these were sung before battles to instill encouragement and to evoke... Continue reading "Medieval Minstrelsy and Epic Poems: Origins & Evolution" »