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

Introduction to the Maison Carrée

The Maison Carrée is a pseudoperipteral Roman temple located in the urban area of Nîmes, France. Its construction dates back to the time of Agrippa, around 16 BC. The original author of this description is anonymous.

Construction Materials

The Maison Carrée was built using materials such as marble, particularly for its upper sections and decorative elements.

Architectural System and Details

The temple's construction system is based on wall lintels and features Corinthian columns. It utilizes a base derived from the Attic base. The capitals are adorned with three rows of acanthus leaves, with each leaf in the upper rows placed between two leaves of the bottom row. At the center, a rosette is found between the... Continue reading "The Maison Carrée: Roman Temple in Nîmes" »

Rome: Republic and Empire

Roman Art

Roman art adopted Greek forms, creating a realistic and sober style that prioritized practicality and functionality over pure aesthetics.

Roman Architecture

• Imitated Greek models, emphasizing practicality and functionality in large cities and public buildings.
• Utilized arches and barrel vaults.
• Common materials included brick, marble, and concrete.
• Combined architectural orders.
• Civil architecture was more prominent than religious architecture.

Arches and Vaults

Used in homes and temples, these structures were often clad with exterior marble panels. The Colosseum exemplifies a composite order, featuring Doric on the first floor, Ionic on the second, and Corinthian on the third.

Civil Architecture

Cities

Initially agricultural,... Continue reading "Roman Architecture and Art: Republic and Empire" »

Ángel Fieramente Humano: Postwar Revelation

Ángel fieramente humano was identified by critics of the 50s for its originality. Dámaso Alonso proclaimed that poetry "as uprooted" as one of the three or four revelations of postwar Spanish lyric. The title of the work comes from a sonnet by Góngora: "porque el ángel es fieramente humano."

In these torn poems, Blas de Otero discusses the post-war man's anguished existence, the existence of humanity in ruins.

The poet crying in Ángel fieramente humano is no longer merely a subject but raises his rebellion against pain, in the midst of solitude.

The themes of love, the mortal condition of man, anguish, and loneliness run throughout the book. God is the representative of the power of distance and... Continue reading "Blas de Otero's Poetic Trajectory: Anguish, Society, Spain" »

Compound Sentences: Structure and Types

Compound sentences consist of two or more independent clauses (each with its own predicate). They can sometimes be confused with verb combinations, which only have a single predicate. Compound sentences can be formed with or without explicit linkages:

• Juxtaposition: Sentences placed side-by-side, often separated by punctuation like a comma or semicolon.
• Coordination: Clauses are linked by coordinating conjunctions (e.g., and, but, or) and are grammatically independent of each other.
• Subordination: One clause performs a grammatical function within another, linked by subordinating conjunctions (e.g., because, although, when).

The Baroque Theatre: Innovations and Characteristics

The New Comedy

The New Comedy was... Continue reading "Spanish Golden Age Literature and Grammar Concepts" »

Aesthetic Affinities of the Generation of '27

Aesthetic affinities between the components of the Generation of '27:

• From dehumanization and human authenticity: the human concern is increasing, not to mention the aesthetic requirements.
• Among the tightness and clarity: the cultured and popular.
• Among the intellectual and the emotional: emotion restrained by the intellect.
• Between the universal and the Spanish: receptivity to foreign poetry and poetry with strong national roots.
• Between tradition and renewal: combine art with respect for tradition (J.R.J., Bécquer, Góngora, etc.).

Themes of the Generation of '27

• The city: comfort and frivolities, inventions, communications, transport, etc.
• Nature: near the city or assumed by it. From exile, the reason

Noucentisme: The 1914 Generation in Spain

Noucentisme, also known as the Generation of 1914, was a significant cultural renewal movement in Spanish art and literature. Extending roughly from 1906 to 1923, it emerged as a reaction to and an overcoming of both Modernism and the Generation of '98.

Core Principles and Aesthetic Values

Its style is characterized by a refined and exquisite quality, driven by a strong desire for perfection and the concept of the "job well done." The aesthetic principles and main ideas of Noucentisme include:

Key Ideas of Noucentisme

• Serenity, neatness, and balance as fundamental values of a pure art, aiming solely for aesthetic pleasure.
• Intellectualism: Advocating for art directed towards intelligence rather than emotion,

Petrarch

Petrarch, a fourteenth-century Italian poet, who embodies like no other the characteristics and ideals of humanism. He wrote several works of humanistic inspiration. His most famous work is entitled Rerum vulgarium fragmenta, known by the name of Canzoniere. His Triumphs is an allegorical poem composed in terza rima and consists of 6 parts of very uneven length.

Petrarch's Canzoniere

This consists of over 350 poems on the theme of love. The first part deals with the anguish experienced by the poet in love. He was imitated in Spain by the Marqués de Santillana, Ausiàs March, Juan Boscán, and Garcilaso de la Vega.

Petrarchism

• Traditions: (medieval courtly love)
• Classical Resources: (incorporating many motifs, similes, comparisons, and expressions

Baroque Lyricism in the 17th Century

Features

• The artist seeks original creation, leading to the admiration of the reader.
• Tends towards balance, exaggeration, and the expression of strong contrasts.
• Nature and harmony are not considered a reflection of divine order.

Themes

• Love: Inspired by the Petrarchan ideal, but often appears with a tone of despair.
• Nature: No longer seen as an ideal world, an image of the divine, but used simply as a decorative background.
• Mythological Legends: Become topical and are used continuously, sometimes mechanically.
• Disappointment: Fear of the transience of time and pessimistic thoughts about death. Avoids ordinary burlesque.

Culteranismo

Seeks to impress the reader by using exaggerated language and literary devices.... Continue reading "Baroque Lyricism and Theater in the 17th Century" »