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

Spanish Theater at the Beginning of the Twentieth Century

The development of drama was influenced by social constraints, primarily aimed at middle-class audiences who were not particularly interested in social problems or ideological themes. Playwrights had to cater to public demand, but faced limited financial resources for their works. Consequently, authors who adhered to these constraints were not marginalized.

The result was a period of relative stagnation in Spanish theater, characterized by a lack of innovation and renewal.

Background of Theater in the Second Half of the 19th Century

Romantic drama evolved into more balanced and thoughtful forms, culminating in the rise of high comedy.

Characteristics of High Comedy:

• Contemporary Setting
• Observation

Romance Languages of Spain

Post-Roman Empire

After the fall of the Roman Empire, Latin and Roman culture declined in many regions. However, in areas with stronger Roman influence, the language persisted and diversified into various dialects known as Romance languages.

Romance Language Family

• Hispanic
• French
• Italian
• Rheto-Romance
• Romanian
• Sardinian

Several of these Latin-derived languages became historically significant.

Mozarabic

In Muslim-conquered territories, Arabic became the dominant language. However, the Christians living under Muslim rule, known as Mozarabs, preserved their Romance language, Mozarabic.

Central Romance

Castilian

During the 9th century, the Kingdom of Asturias sought to fortify its eastern border. Fernán González unified the counties... Continue reading "Romance Languages in Spain: History and Evolution" »

Spanish Theater: Franco Era and Beyond

In the 1940s, the Spanish theatrical scene was dominated by a "national" theater in service of the dictatorship. The elusive theater, such as bourgeois comedy and humorous drama, triumphed. At the end of the 1940s, realistic protest theater emerged in 1949 with the premiere of Story of a Ladder by Buero Vallejo. This trend was later confirmed with the work Death Squad by Alfonso Sastre.

From the 1970s, a cutting-edge theater emerged with Fernando Arrabal and Francisco Nieva, influenced by the theater of the absurd and the theater of cruelty. Nor should we forget that in the late 1960s, independent theater emerged. From 1975, playwrights were attracted to contemporary issues.

Commercial or Evasive Theater

Postwar... Continue reading "Spanish Theater: Franco Era, Protest & Humor" »

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Classical Influence and Pure Poetry

Poets of the Generation of '27 received the influence of Spanish classics, such as Góngora and Juan Ramón Jiménez. The influence of Bécquer and classical forms is evident in the use of hendecasyllables, tenths, eighths, and sonetos reales. Bécquer's presence is felt in the love poetry of Salinas and Cernuda.

Pure poetry, influenced by Juan Ramón Jiménez's poems and Dámaso Alonso, is exemplified by Pedro Salinas's La voz a ti debida. This work is part of a trilogy that includes Razón de amor and Largo lamento. In it, the beloved gives meaning to the existence of the lover.

Avant-Garde Poetry

Avant-garde movements that influenced the Generation of '27 were Creationism, Ultraism, and Surrealism. The... Continue reading "Classical and Avant-Garde Influences in Spanish Poetry" »

Juan Ramón Jiménez: Life and Work

This great natural poet from Moguer (Huelva) was born in 1881. The death of his father in 1905 profoundly impacted the author's personality. Since then, he suffered periodic nervous depressions for which he was interned in various sanatoriums where he received proper psychiatric care. In 1911, he met Zenobia Camprubí, whom he married in New York in 1916. During the Spanish Civil War, he joined the Republican side and had to emigrate to America, where he remained until his death in 1958. Two years before, in 1956, he won the Nobel Prize for Literature. He was a person who looked deeply at the time. Withdrawn and lonely, he rejected various honors, such as belonging to the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE). He represents... Continue reading "Juan Ramón Jiménez: Life, Works and Poetic Style" »

The Castilian Language

Castilian Spanish is derived from Vulgar Latin. It expanded during the Reconquista and reached its peak in the 13th century. The Poem of the Cid is considered the first significant piece of literature in the language. During the reign of Alfonso X, known as the Wise, Castilian replaced Latin in official use. The 14th and 15th centuries saw the creation of notable works in Castilian, such as The Book of Good Love, the verses of Jorge Manrique, and La Celestina. At the end of the 15th century, it was brought to America by conquerors, and in 1492, the first Castilian grammar was published. In the 16th century, Castilian Spanish, then called simply Spanish, reached its golden age. In the 18th century, the Royal Spanish Academy... Continue reading "Spanish, Basque, Catalan, and Galician: A Linguistic Overview" »

Medieval Literature: Lyric Poetry

Traditional Lyric Poetry

Songs that people sing to accompany domestic work and other activities. The main topic is anonymous love. These compositions are transmitted orally.

Cultured Lyric Poetry

Refined lyric poetry composed by troubadours. The theme of courtly love in the south is exemplified by the jarchas (the earliest lyrical expressions). In the northwest, there's the Galician-Portuguese lyric (12th century). In the northeast, there are the cantigas de amigo, influenced by Provençal troubadour poetry. In the middle of the peninsula, the metrical form used is the villancico, where a traditional chorus is repeated with stanzas.

Lyric Poetry in the Fifteenth Century: Jorge Manrique

Jorge Manrique, born in 1440... Continue reading "Medieval Literature: Lyric and Narrative Poetry Analysis" »

Splendor of Fifteenth-Century Poetry

The fifteenth century is often called the Golden Age of Valencian literature. The cultural center of the Crown of Aragon was the city of Valencia, which surpassed Barcelona. Key literary developments included:

• Cultured Poetry (Ausias Marc and Joan Rois de Corella)
• Satirical Poetry (Jaime Roig): A satirical vein that criticizes the customs of the time.

Fifteenth-Century Poets

Ausias Marc

Ausias Marc was born in Valencia into a family of poets and knights. He took part in the expedition of Alfonso the Magnanimous (king). Approximately one hundred twenty-eight of his poems survive, including 'Songs of Love,' 'Songs of Death,' 'Moral Songs,' and 'Spiritual Song.'

His poetry departed from the poetic tradition of the... Continue reading "Fifteenth Century Valencian Poetry: A Literary Analysis" »

Latin Lyric Poetry

The Essence of Latin Verse

Latin lyric poetry shines as a prominent genre in Latin literature. Its language, filled with metrical accuracy, creates verses that flow with a captivating spontaneity, translating into well-crafted schemes.

From a content perspective, lyric poets empower their words with sincerity, warmth, vigor, and unsurpassed strength. Poetry becomes a testament to the passions of men, often expressing profound experiences and feelings with remarkable vitality.

Types of Lyric Poetry

The Greeks distinguished between monodic lyric (sung by an individual) and choral lyric (sung by a chorus). Latins focused primarily on the monodic form.

Within monodic lyric, the ancient Greeks further divided poetry into iambic, elegiac,... Continue reading "Latin Lyric Poetry: Exploring Horace and the Art of the Ode" »

Troubadour Poetry in Provence

Troubadour poetry emerged in the courts of Provence in the twelfth century, gaining prominence in the thirteenth century. These poems were composed and performed by troubadours, sometimes with the assistance of minstrels. The courts provided patronage to these poets, offering them sustenance in exchange for songs that praised women, describing their beauty and the prevailing customs of courtly love.

Ausias March, from Valencia, wrote in a style reminiscent of Dante Alighieri, emphasizing the beauty and spirituality of women. Francesco Petrarca composed songbooks, particularly sonnets, celebrating the beauty of Laura, his unattainable love.

Fifteenth-Century Castilian Lyric Poetry

This era saw the rise of the cancionero,... Continue reading "Troubadour Poetry and Renaissance Literature in Spain" »