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

A more formidable objection to the plan of the book might be that I have taken too little into account the historical backgrounds of the poems I have discussed. An adequate answer to this charge will have to be furnished by the book itself, but I should like to forestall some misapprehensions, here and now. If literary history has not been emphasized in the pages that follow, it is not because I discount its importance, or because I have failed to take it into account. It is rather that I have been anxious to see what residuum, if any, is left after we have referred the poem to its cultural matrix.

The temper of our times is strongly relativistic. We have had impressed upon us the necessity for reading a poem in terms of its historical context,... Continue reading "Timeless Poetry: Beyond Historical Context" »

The Hellenic Branch

The only extant language in this branch is Modern Greek.

Greek is one of the oldest Indo-European languages. Mycenaean dates from 1300BC. The Ancient Greek of Homer was written from around 700BC. The major forms were Doric (Sparta), Ionic (Cos), Aeolic (Lesbos), and Attic (Athens). The latter is Classical Greek.

The New Testament of the Christian Bible was written in a form of 1st Century AD Greek called Koine. This developed into the Greek of the Byzantine Empire. Modern Greek has developed from this.

Greek has three genders and four cases for nouns but no form of the verb infinitive. The language has its own script, derived from Phoenician with the addition of symbols for vowels. It is one of the oldest alphabets in the world... Continue reading ""entirely belongs to" shareholding" »

Avant-Garde Movements

Favism

• Matisse: The Dessert, Harmony in Red (1908), Portrait of Madame Matisse (1905)
• Derain: The River Seine at Chatou (1906)
• Vlaminck
• Rouault

Cubism

• Picasso
• Braque: Woman with a Guitar (1913)
• Juan Gris: Portrait of Picasso (1912)

Expressionism

• Munch: The Scream (1893)
• Kirchner
• Nolde

Futurism

• Boccioni
• Giacometti

Cubist Sculpture

• Brancusi

Between-War Period

Dadaism

• Duchamp: Mona Lisa, Fountain (1917)
• Picabia
• Grosz: The Pillars of Society (1926)

Surrealism

• Dalí: The Apparition of Face and Fruit Dish on a Beach (1931), The Persistence of Memory (1931)
• Chagall: I and the Village (1911)
• Magritte: The Son of Man (1964)

Abstract Art

• Kandinsky: On White II (1923)
• Malevich
• Mondrian
• Klee: Red and White Domes (1914), Senecio (1922)
• Miró

Sculpture

• Brancusi
• Giacometti
• Moore:

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Social Structure in Ancient Rome

3.1. Social Division

Roman society was divided into strict groups:

Citizens

• Patricians: A very small minority who lived in luxurious houses (domus). They were Roman noblemen considered to be descendants of Rome's founders, the patres. They owned all the land during the Republic, served in the Senate, and held the most important military and administrative posts.
• Plebeians: Most Romans belonged to this social group, which was composed of small farmers, peasants, and craftsmen. Although they could not participate in politics, they were permitted to vote. They engaged in continuous struggles with the Patricians, eventually forcing the passage of the Law of the Twelve Tables (451 BC) to secure their support. Consequently,

Henry James (1843-1916)

A Cosmopolitan Life

Born in New York in 1843, Henry James was a true cosmopolite, moving seamlessly between drawing rooms in Europe, England, and America. While he may have felt more at home in Europe, his American roots profoundly influenced his writing. His works often explore the complex relationship between American and European cultures, highlighting the confrontations and contrasts between these two worlds.

Early Influences and Literary Beginnings

In his youth, James's family embarked on a European journey, immersing themselves in the intellectual and cultural landscapes of Switzerland, France, and Germany. Upon returning to America, they settled in Cambridge, Massachusetts, a hub of intellectual thought. James's... Continue reading "Henry James: Exploring American Identity and European Influence" »

The Author's Position

The author often narrates the work from within, containing the story of the victim, with the narrator participating as a protagonist, secondary character, or simply a witness.

The Narrative Time

The chronological disorder is one of the structural features of this great 20th-century novel. The action is divided into five chapters, and the events span from 5:30 a.m. until 7:00 a.m. on a Monday morning in February, when the action occurs. The narrative covers a day of hard work (referring to the investigation and recollection of events).

Key Characters

Santiago Nasar

• Of Arabic descent, wealthy, with a farm and a good inheritance.
• The unique and pampered son of his father, obsessively concerned about his personal image.
• Wears linen

The Classical Age of English Literature

The Eighteenth Century in England is called the Classical Age or the Augustan Age in literature. It is also called the Age of Good Sense or the Age of Reason. John Dryden belonged to the seventeenth century, but he was also included in the Classical or Augustan Age. Other great literary figures who dominated this age successively were Alexander Pope and Samuel Johnson.

The Three Periods of the Classical Age

The Classical Age is divided into three distinct periods: the Ages of Dryden, Pope, and Johnson.

The Age of Dryden and the Restoration

Dryden was the dominating and most representative literary figure of the Dryden Age. The literature of the Restoration Period emphasized directness and simplicity of expression,... Continue reading "The Classical Age: 18th Century English Literature" »

Christopher Columbus and the Voyages to the Americas

While the Portuguese reached India and China by sailing south and east, Christopher Columbus sought to reach India by sailing west into the Atlantic Ocean. King John II of Portugal refused to finance the expedition, so Columbus petitioned the Catholic Monarchs of Spain. After conquering the Kingdom of Granada, they finally agreed to fund his voyage.

Columbus set sail on three ships: the Pinta, the Niña, and the Santa María. On 12 October 1492, they sighted land, and Columbus mistakenly believed he had arrived in Japan. He returned to Seville with gold and indigenous people to prove his success.

In 1493, Columbus returned to the Americas. The Spanish defeated opposing tribes and took many slaves,... Continue reading "Christopher Columbus and Pre-Columbian Civilizations" »