Notes, abstracts, papers, exams and problems of Latin

Miguel de Unamuno: San Manuel Bueno, Mártir

Born in Bilbao in 1864, Miguel de Unamuno obtained a professorship and became rector of the University of Salamanca. He was dismissed for political reasons, opposed to the military. He was arrested at his home and died in Salamanca in 1936. Unamuno was one of the most prestigious intellectuals in and outside of Spain. A man of battles and deep religious convictions, Unamuno has a varied literary production: essays, novels, poetry, and drama. However, he excels in his essayistic work.

Unamuno's novels are a projection of his personal problems and concerns. Highlights include:

• Abel Sánchez, which addresses the fratricide between two friends.
• La Tía Tula, about motherhood.
• San Manuel Bueno, Mártir, where

15th Century: Transition to the Renaissance

During this period, two types of works are prominent: the romance and cancionero poetry, reflecting the medieval heritage.

The Ballad

The ballad is a collection of romances (narrative poems):

• They consist of eight-syllable verses, rhyming assonance in pairs.
• Its origin lies in the evolution of the meter of epic poems, having a traditional character:
  • They are born from an epic, legend, historical event, or the result of fantasy.
  • They are recited from memory, orally.
  • They are anonymous poems.
• Besides the epic romance, we find romances on Moorish subjects, the Matter of Britain, lyrical, etc.

Cancionero Poetry

Cancionero poetry is named after its musical character. It was composed to be sung at court, and it is... Continue reading "15th Century Literature: Transition to the Renaissance in Spain" »

Pre-1936 Spanish Theater

At the beginning of the century, Spanish drama was largely unrecognized. High comedy, referring to bourgeois realist drama, flourished due to societal demand. In 1905, over 50 writers, including Unamuno, Dario, Azorin, Valle-Inclán, the Machado brothers, Graw Maeztu, signed a manifesto of public protest. Key figures in this genre include Dicenta and Jacinto.

Poetic drama attempted to bring modernism to the theater. Eduardo Marquina, with Children of the Cid, was a prominent figure. The Machado brothers also contributed significantly, permeating poetic knowledge into their works.

The comedy of manners showcased great variety, often linked to musicals like the zarzuela and operetta, such as La Gran Vía and La Verbena de

Modernism and the Generation of '98

The Crisis at the End of the Century

Controversy: Modernism vs. Generation '98

The intellectuals of the time, including those from decadent Hispanic America, coined the term Art Nouveau. This movement represented a rejection of society and culture. In Spain, Modernism and the Generation of '98 coexisted in the literature of the century, but critics viewed them as manifestations of a crisis at the end of the century.

Modernism: A Rebellious Renewal

Modernism embodied a vital attitude of rebellion and renewal, impacting politics, religion, and art. It involved a rejection of materialism and the social and moral norms that restricted human freedom.

Literary Modernism

Literary Modernism, a movement born in Latin America... Continue reading "Modernism vs. Generation 98: Literary Crisis & Renewal" »

• Noucentisme
• Noucentisme, a cultural movement in Spain during the 1910s, positioned itself as the voice of the new century, opposing the characteristics of the previous era.
• While the Noucentista writers didn't share a unified group identity, they had overlapping traits:
• • Strong intellectual foundation: They were primarily philosophers, essayists, historians, and critics.
  • Europeanism: This distinguished them from the Generation of '98, which focused on Castilian themes.
  • Emphasis on meticulous craftsmanship: Like Juan Ramón Jiménez, they valued well-thought-out work, rejecting improvisation.
  • Rationalism: They prioritized intellectual rigor, objective analysis, and clear presentation.
  • Anti-romanticism: They rejected sentimentality and passion, favoring

Introduction

Spanish literature production during the Civil War was scarce and tended to serve the interests of each side. These works were often urgent and of poor quality. The conflict caused a deep cut with the earlier tradition. After the war, Spanish intellectuals like Pérez de Ayala, Jarnés, and Francisco Ayala Sender, who supported the Republic, were forced into exile or faced death.

Young novelists at the beginning of the 1940s found themselves in a depleted atmosphere. Censorship was imposed not only on young artists but also on any work, past or present, that opposed the regime's ideals.

This period also includes the production of exiled writers after the war, with their reflections on Spain, the Civil War, and its aftermath.

Some notable... Continue reading "Spanish Literature: Civil War to 1975 and Beyond" »

Lope de Vega and the New Comedy

In the 17th century, Lope de Vega combined literary quality with the ability to attract the public. In 1609, Lope wrote his New Art of Making Comedy, a short, ironic work in which he attempts to explain and defend his theatrical conception against those who criticize the apparatus of classical acts. He proposed the following:

• Divide the comedy into 3 acts, calling them "jornadas".
• Mix the tragic and the comic.
• Mix social strata in the comedy, even appearing in the most serious works.
• The work should have a single action and develop in the same place and during one "jornada".
• Plays are written in verse.
• The writer uses different types of stanzas according to the situations.

Lope admits that the rules of Classical Theater... Continue reading "Spanish Golden Age Theater: 17th Century Drama" »

The late 19th and early 20th century in Spanish literature saw a series of innovations and changes. Pessimistic authors reflected the societal anxieties of the time. Their works often conveyed frustration and hopelessness. Influenced by Schopenhauer, they explored the idea that overcoming pain and suffering requires giving up on worldly desires. This led to a focus on lost history, internal conflict, and fragmented protagonists. The writers of '98 were united in their protest against the customs and situation of Spanish society, offering a personal and subjective view of things.

Valle-Inclán was one of the most avant-garde writers, beginning in modernism and evolving towards the grotesque. His major prose works include the Sonatas (Autumn,

Livelihood:

That which should be itself and not another.

Diverse Conceptions of the Soul

Its substantial identity. Del Alma: In substance, spirit will not admit of a composite or material existence. Del Alma is to be concrete, and to port an individual to a substance to order or resemble a universal form. Clinamen is considered to be the soul tied to the body, as the pilot of a ship, safe in its independent tendencies to substance.

Source Del Alma

As he formed the Soul

1. Traducianism:

   ESIS is the position of Tertullian and St. Augustine. Consensus is that your soul is the result of your parents.

2. Emanation:

   EI (the soul) is to be emanating from his substance (Stoic) or will not return (Neoplatonism). For Spinoza, the soul emanates from substance; for

The Evolution of Languages in Spain

Official and Co-official Languages

The constitution establishes Castilian (Spanish) as the official language of Spain. Galician, Basque, Catalan, and Valencian are recognized as co-official languages in their respective regions.

Linguistic Diversity

Linguistically, there are varieties that are not considered languages, such as Asturian and Aranese.

Historical Language Formation

The most widespread languages in ancient times were Iberian, Celtic, and Basque. Other languages like Tartessian were spoken in the south. Phoenician, Greek, and Carthaginian were established on the coasts. These pre-Roman languages eventually disappeared, but some terms reached the current Castilian.

Romanization and Romance Languages

During... Continue reading "Evolution of Languages in Spain: From Romanization to Today" »