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

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1. Introduction to Modernism

Arose in Catalonia between 1892 and 1911. Catalonia desired a national and European identity, unlike the Reinaixença. It showed a desire for modernization, renovation efforts, and a cosmopolitan spirit. There were two stages:

- Combative Stage (1892-1898):

Artists criticized society and aimed to impose their vision. They carried out their work in cultural centers in Barcelona (Els Quatre Gats brewery) and Sitges (Cau Ferrat) and with publications such as L'Avenç.

- Established Stage (1898-1911):

The bourgeoisie accepted Modernism. It was the most fruitful period. The Joventut magazine was important. Modernism ended with the death of Joan Maragall. It established a special relationship between artist and society.... Continue reading "Catalan Modernism: Poetry, Prose, and Cultural Renaissance" »

Luis de Góngora

Unlike other authors such as Lope de Vega and Quevedo, Luis de Góngora's writing is almost exclusively poetic. He cultivated poetry both in its traditional forms and in the popular underground cult. In both cases, the tone of his poetry can range from the most serious, beautiful, and noble to the cartoonish, humorous, festive, and burlesque.

Letrillas and Romances

Góngora is an accomplished poet in both types of compositions.

• His letrillas and ballads (Da bienes Fortuna; Lloraba la niña; Hermana Marica, among others) cover a great variety of themes. They maintain the vitality, beauty, grace, and charm typical of this type of verse, but Góngora does not renounce the elaborate language, expressiveness, and artifice of his cultivated

Characteristics of the Picaresque Novel

• The protagonist is a rogue of very low social rank or estate, often offspring of parents without honor.
• Autobiographical narration.
• The protagonist is an anti-hero, destined to fail and remain a rogue.
• Moralizing and pessimistic ideology.
• Itinerant structure with satirical intent.
• Strong realism, even naturalism.
• Narration in the first person.
• The rogue class does not rise in social standing.

Lazarillo de Tormes: An Anonymous Picaresque Novel

Plot Summary

Lázaro, as a child, begins to serve his first master. Throughout the novel, he serves many masters, gaining unique life lessons from each.

Themes and Structure

The novel is composed of a prologue and seven "treatises" (chapters). The book is autobiographical and,... Continue reading "Spanish Golden Age Literary Genres and Masterpieces" »

Spanish Theater in the Early 20th Century

The Second Decade: Noucentisme

During the second decade, the theater exhibited Noucentista characteristics: rationalism, anti-romanticism, a preference for classical and intellectualized expression of emotions, a defense of pure art, and works directed towards a knowledgeable, sophisticated audience. There was extreme concern for the design, structure, and language of the work.

Leading Authors of the Second Decade

• Ramon del Valle-Inclán: In his primitive stage, he wrote works like Romance of Wolves and Eagle Crest. Their common features are violence, cruelty, brutality, destruction, passion, myths, and superstitions. There are plenty of marginal and strange beings. During his time of artificial distancing,

Characteristics of Romantic Poetry

In subject matter, love figures prominently, often a passionate love that is usually impossible to achieve. The lexicon is populated by words that reflect the spirit of the times: dissatisfaction, pessimism. Metrics are used in all types of stanzas and verses.

Trends of Romantic Poetry

• Lyric or Sentimental Poetry: Major cultivators of lyric poetry were Espronceda, the Duke of Rivas, Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer, and Rosalía de Castro.
• Narrative or Historical Poetry:
  • Historical Poem: Medieval themes.
  • Philosophical Poem: Cultivated by Espronceda (e.g., "The Student of Salamanca").
  • Narrative Poem: Romance restored by the Duke of Rivas.
  • Legend: Focuses on folkloric traditions; the main cultivator was José Zorrilla.
• Social

Spanish Avant-Garde Movements

During the first third of the twentieth century in Europe, there was a real burst of creativity, generating many aesthetic movements that followed one another, intersecting in a few years and at an accelerating rate. These are called Avant-Garde movements, and include Futurism, Cubism, Expressionism, Dadaism, and Surrealism. They are characterized by their experimental effort and willingness to break with the past. The Avant-Garde movements do not form a coherent system; they are very different, even contradictory and opposite.

In Spain, the founder of the avant-garde was Ramón Gómez de la Serna. He wrote novels, plays, and essays, but his fame is mainly due to his "greguerías": one-sentence compositions that... Continue reading "Spanish Avant-Garde Movements & Theater Before the Civil War" »

Spanish Literature: Post-Civil War Poetry and Theater (1940-1970)

Poetry from 1940 to 1970

Introduction

The end of the Spanish Civil War dramatically altered the landscape of Spanish poetry. Some of the great poets died during the conflict, while others went into exile. Vicente Aleixandre, Dámaso Alonso, and Gerardo Diego remained in Spain and influenced post-war poets.

Poetry Scene Since 1939: Miguel Hernández

Miguel Hernández stands out as a leading figure, skillfully combining traditional techniques with avant-garde elements and popular tradition. His first book was *Perito en lunas*, and he reached his full poetic potential in *El rayo que no cesa*. His central themes are life, love, and death, often reflecting his status as a prisoner, his... Continue reading "Spanish Literature: Post-Civil War Poetry & Theater" »

Understanding Literary Forms and Genres

Prose vs. Verse: Fundamental Literary Forms

Prose is a literary form of expression most similar to everyday speech and its natural distribution. It also exhibits different levels of development and aesthetic artifice.

Verse: Its most characteristic feature is musical rhythm. The musicality of verse is achieved through the following resources:

• Accents: The disposition of accents within a verse determines the rhythm of the poem.
• Rhyme: The repetition of certain sounds from the last stressed vowel in each line.
• Syllabic Count: The repetition of the same number of syllables in all verses, or the alternation between two or more syllabic schemes, determines the creation of different rhythms.

Figures of Speech: Enhancing

Expository Writing: Brochure Features

Expository writing is used to raise awareness about an issue of general interest.

Features:

• Aims to inform, explain, convince, and suggest solutions.
• Presents information in a clear, direct, and attractive way.
• The content is displayed following a logical, hierarchical, and coherent order.
• The receptor recognizes authority on a certain topic.
• The brochure is a work of collective effort.
• Uses present tense and standard language.

Resources: Typographical Brands

Explanatory texts have a formal aspect, using various types of fonts and letters, hyphens, periods, colors, numbers, underscores, captions, or titles. These brands have two functions:

• Specify the order.
• Highlight important information.

Schema: Key Connectors for

Cicero's Works

Treaties of Rhetoric

Cicero wrote The Speaker, a three-book work featuring Licinius Crassus and Mark Antony, renowned speakers of the 2nd century BC. Through these characters and two others, Cicero explains the qualities of a good orator. The book proposes that all speeches should be divided into distinct parts:

• Exordium: The introduction of the topic, where the speaker aims to gain public sympathy.
• Exposition or Narration: Presentation of the facts relevant to the speech.
• Argumentation: The speaker provides arguments to justify their intervention or attack the opponent.
• Conclusion or Peroration: A final summary where the speaker reiterates their main points and seeks to persuade the audience.

Cicero also wrote several dialogues, notably... Continue reading "Cicero's Works: Rhetoric, Politics, Philosophy, and More" »