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

Spanish Ballads: Origins and Evolution

Ballads are brief epic-lyrical compositions, often accompanied by an instrument. Early romances date back to the fifteenth century. These compositions were anonymous and transmitted alongside the chanson de geste.

Metrical Structure of Ballads

They typically consist of a limited number of 8-syllable verses, rhyming in assonance in pairs. The odd-numbered lines are often unrhymed.

Categories of Spanish Ballads

• Historical Ballads:

  Addressing themes similar to epic poems. For example, the ballads of Bernardo del Carpio and The Seven Infantes of Lara.

• Border Ballads:

  Focusing on issues related to border warfare between Moors and Christians. Many depict forbidden love affairs between a Christian and a Moor.

• Lyric

What is an Editorial?

An editorial is an argumentative text that explains and assesses a significant journalistic event.

Characteristics of an Editorial

• Authorship: The editorial is an unsigned text that aims to show a collective opinion.
• Theme: Must be current and relevant, often linked to politics, economics, etc.
• Function: To explain the fundamentals of its subject matter.
• Status: Appears in a prominent place in the opinion section of a medium.
• Adequacy: Must be suitable for the speaker's communicative intentions, the situation in which it develops, and the relationship between all parties involved.
• Coherence: Must be organized and arranged according to a major theme from which secondary ideas arise.
• Cohesion: Its components must be connected by

Origins of Catalan Literature

Catalan literature emerged from Vulgar Latin in the 12th century. The earliest known texts include legal judgments from the 12th century and the Homilies of Organyà (sermons).

Medieval Catalan Literature (13th-15th Centuries)

From the 13th to the 15th centuries, Catalan literary works achieved a high standard compared to other Romance languages. Scribes were significantly influenced by Occitan poets of the 15th century.

Prose in Medieval Catalan Literature

• Religious and Moral Prose: Notable figures like Ramon Llull and Vincent Ferrer produced numerous works rich in lexical and syntactical complexity, revealing a deep Christian rhetorical culture.
• Narrative Background: This genre encompassed historical accounts, personal

Hispanic American Fiction: Magical Realism

The 1940s saw a focus on the unique American experience through an aesthetic blending realism and fantasy. This approach, known as magical realism, sought to capture the essence of the American world. It was a literary movement that renovated existing aesthetics tied to the European avant-garde, but with a distinct aim: to reflect American reality. In magical realism, the extraordinary is presented as ordinary, and the most fantastical events are grounded in everyday life.

This new reality is characterized by Hispanic stylistic innovation and a desire to unravel the American peculiarity through a synthesis of reality and fantasy. New themes emerged, including nature, the indigenous world, political issues,... Continue reading "Magical Realism in Hispanic American Fiction: Themes and Techniques" »

The Literary Review: Siguientes

Milagros de Nuestra Señora by Gonzalo de Berceo

Gonzalo de Berceo, considered the first known author in the Spanish language, created Milagros de Nuestra Señora, a cornerstone of the Mester de Clerecía. This significant work consists of twenty-five stories centered on the Virgin Mary. In these tales, the Virgin, moved by the devotion shown towards a sinner, intervenes to save their life or soul. Berceo's work is a notable example of literature from the Middle Ages.

Jarchas: Early Spanish Lyric Poetry

Dating from the 11th to 13th centuries, Jarchas are short lyric compositions, typically two to four verses long. These were included by Arab and Jewish poets at the end of longer poems, often in Mozarabic dialect,... Continue reading "Masterpieces of Spanish Literature: Medieval to Golden Age" »

1. Compare the personalities of Becky and Amelia, and include examples from the story that illustrated their similarities or differences.

Becky and Amelia have very different personalities. Becky is from a middle-class background and is very outgoing and open-minded, especially when compared to other women of her period. In contrast, Amelia comes from a rich family and is very shy.

Amelia has always had her life planned by her family. For example, her family planned her marriage with George Osborne, and Amelia has always been in love with him. On the other hand, Becky has always had to fend for herself. For example, she tries to find a good job and a rich husband.

2. In your opinion, how did Becky's background influence her behavior and the goals

Spanish Poetry in Exile: Voices of the Generation of '27

The Spanish Civil War and subsequent dictatorship led to the exile of many intellectuals and artists. Among them were prominent poets of the Generation of '27. With the notable exceptions of Gerardo Diego, Dámaso Alonso, and Vicente Aleixandre, many key figures wrote and published outside Spain, including Pedro Salinas, Luis Cernuda, Jorge Guillén, Rafael Alberti, Manuel Altolaguirre, and Emilio Prados. Juan Ramón Jiménez, also in exile, continued to produce his final works.

These exiled poets followed diverse paths, yet their productions were universally outstanding. Initially, their work was often filled with anguish, frequently addressing the theme of Spain. These authors continued... Continue reading "Exiled Voices and 1940s Currents in Spanish Poetry" »

Modernism: A Literary Movement

Modernism is a literary movement that champions art for art's sake, whose primary purpose is to celebrate beauty and evoke emotion in the reader. It is particularly evident in poetry.

Directions of Modernism

• Escapist: Characterized by legendary and exotic imagery.
• Intimate: Expresses lively, sad, and anxious moods.

Key Themes in Modernism

• Romantic Distress: Modernism shares significant affinities with the Romantic mood, including similar discomfort, rejection of a vulgar society, rootlessness, and loneliness.
• Escapism: Fleeing the world through dreaming, escape into space, and escape in time.
• Cosmopolitanism: An aspect of the need to escape; anywhere in the world can be considered a homeland.
• Love: Appears delicate, encompassing

The Latin Alphabet: Origins

The Latin alphabet is a variant of the Etruscan Greek alphabet. It is used today by almost everyone. It has 23 letters: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, X, Y, Z.

The Disappearance of Spoken Latin

For centuries, Latin was the language spoken in most parts of Europe. It became increasingly differentiated into a cultured form and a common form. The common form evolved to give rise to Romance languages.

During the Middle Ages, Vulgar Latin became the language of communication between people, while cultured Latin was restricted to the Church and the courts of the Carolingian Renaissance. During the 8th to 11th centuries, Charlemagne favored the preservation of the cultural legacy, used in all centers... Continue reading "Latin Alphabet and Romance Languages: Origins and History" »