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

Humanism (XIV Century)

Humanism showed fascination with the classics (Greek and Latin) and began to recover the works of Plato, Ovid, Horace, Aristotle, Cicero, and to learn their languages.

Humanism is the current that recovers classical literature and its languages of scripture: Greek and Latin.

Bernat Metge wrote any work in Latin.

Humanism is the linguistic and literary period that marks the step from the Middle Ages to the Modern Age.

Renaissance (XIV Century - Mid Century)

It was believed that the Roman Empire marked the collapse of a hegemonic culture with the arrival of the barbarians. Recovering culture arises at all levels.

They see the culture of the time as a dark and barbaric Medieval thing and do not recognize themselves in it. So says... Continue reading "Humanism, Renaissance, Baroque, Enlightenment: Literary Movements" »

The Marquis of Santillana

The Marquis of Santillana was a great promoter of 15th-century culture. Besides his literary work, the Marquis was interested in investigation and criticism, and he elaborated a history of Spanish literature, as well as the first book of Castilian proverbs. Throughout his life, he surrounded himself with intellectuals and humanists, such as his secretary, Juan de Mena. All that kept him abreast of literary fashions and trends, especially Italian. In this sense, the Marquis of Santillana is considered the introducer of Italian forms in Spain. To him should be attributed the first sonnets in Castilian, a hitherto unknown composition, and that a century later would be the favorite of Renaissance poets. His work, 42 Sonnets

Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer: Modern Spanish Poetry

Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer is an initiator of modern Spanish poetry. His poetry collection, Rimas, consists of 86 poems.

Themes in Rimas

• Love Rhymes: Explore subthemes like the search for the ideal, unattainable women, being in love, disappointment, and relationship failure.
• Existential Rhymes: Express distress caused by the passage of time, death, or a lack of life direction.
• Metapoetic Rhymes: Reflect on the concept of poetry itself.

Style Features

• Brevity and intimacy
• Repetitive structure
• Use of metaphors and similes
• Assonant rhyme
• Dialogue format

Rosalía de Castro: Galician and Spanish Poet

Rosalía de Castro is one of the most important female voices in Spanish poetry.

Work in Galician

Denounces social injustice... Continue reading "Spanish Romanticism: Bécquer, Castro & Literary Traits" »

Literature and Thought in the 17th Century

The ideal Renaissance artistic and literary transformation, beginning around the mid-16th century, manifested in a progressive separation from the criterion of classical imitation for the artist. The personal style was accentuated, reflected in Mannerism, an artistic movement that tended towards artificiality. Mannerism is considered a precursor to the Baroque, whose aesthetic concerns were accepted in the arts and literature of the 17th century. The Baroque flourished most in Italy, with significant impact in France, Germany, and Great Britain.

Characteristics of the Baroque

The Baroque is characterized by the artist's subjectivism in interpreting the world and by a reflective, serious, and pessimistic... Continue reading "Baroque Literature and Thought in the 17th Century" »

Broken Mirror: A Family's Three-Generation Story

Broken Mirror tells the story of a family across three generations, from the perspectives of Teresa, Sofia, and Maria, set in Beachwood. Teresa Godoy has a relationship with a married man, Jesus Masdeu, and has a son. She leaves the child and later marries Nicholas, a wealthy man. After Nicholas dies, she attains a higher social status.

She meets Salvador Valldaura and becomes Teresa Valldaura, further ascending the social ladder. Salvador buys a house where they live. They have a daughter, Sophia, who marries Eladi and lives in the tower. Ramon and Maria have two sons. Eladi has an affair and has a daughter named Maria, who lives with them, much to Sofia's knowledge. Ramon and Maria drown their... Continue reading "Broken Mirror: A Multi-Generational Family Saga" »

Understanding Common Words

This document provides definitions and examples of common words to enhance vocabulary and understanding.

• Archetype: (Sustantivo) A typical example of a person or thing. In this case, it serves as a pattern. She is an archetype of the modern woman.
• Atavism: (Sustantivo) A tendency to imitate or maintain customs or lifestyles of other eras. The red tone of her hair is an example of atavism.
• Ordered: (Verbo) To threaten a person with punishment if they do not do what one orders. Synonyms: threaten, intimidate. He warned that his brother was not with him.
• Convulsive: (Adjetivo) Applies to something excited by irritation or anger. Lexical family: convulsive, convulsion, convulse. Their convulsive love.
• Dantesque: (Adjetivo)

Realism

Characteristics

• Scrutiny and faithful reproduction of life.
• Custom-paint and environments: characters and settings in rural or urban areas.
• Authors: refined or popular (Galdós, Balzac, Dickens).
• Painting of characters: description of the nature of the characters, resulting in the psychological novel, which delves into characters' temperaments (e.g., Flaubert).
• The novelist as a historian: telling a story and giving an account of incidents.
• Importance of alerts, precise vocabulary, detailed descriptions, and language elements.
• Sobriety in style: adapting language to the characters.

Naturalism

Features

• Themes, environments, character types: sick characters who obey their genetic tendencies and base passions; their feedback on the environment.
• Observation

20th Century Literary Movements

The 20th century saw a departure from the realism of the previous century, with movements like:

• Parnassianism: Seeking perfection and escape from reality (Charles Baudelaire).
• Symbolism: Using symbols and images to represent reality through language (Arthur Rimbaud).
• Decadence: Exploring new forms with coarse and vulgar language.

Modernism

Modernism evolved from aesthetics to social and existential concerns, incorporating principles of Parnassianism and Symbolism.

Characteristics of Parnassianism:

• Unreal, exotic, and distant settings to escape reality.
• Metric forms and traditional lines like Alexandrine verses (14 syllables).
• Mixing senses and creating synesthesia.
• Use of alliteration, internal rhymes, and parallels for

The Renaissance in Spain

The Renaissance was a period of rebirth of classical Greek and Latin culture. It occurred in Spain in two stages:

• Reign of Carlos I: A time of political, economic, and cultural splendor. Relations with Italy facilitated the assimilation of Humanism and anthropocentrism.
• Reign of Philip II: Spain became a defender of Catholicism against Protestantism. This era of the Counter-Reformation saw an increase in religiosity, valuing Old Christians, honor, and purity of blood.

Renaissance Culture and Humanism

Female Humanism placed Renaissance culture at the center of the world: Anthropocentrism. Humanists were concerned with all forms of knowledge.

There was a strong admiration for classical Greco-Roman culture, including:

• Love of

Conservative Spanish Theater

Comedy by Benavente

José Benavente, a great innovator and member of the Royal Academy, won the Nobel Prize. His work addresses the hypocrisy of the bourgeoisie, where vested interests and economic concerns overshadow genuine love.

Theater in Verse

This very traditionalist ideology (medieval deeds, high moments of the rule) is represented by two authors: Francisco Villaespesa and Eduardo Marquina. The Machado brothers also contributed works, though their quality is debated.

Comic Theater

Usual Fare

The Álvarez Quintero brothers reflected the Andalusian aristocratic bourgeoisie, focusing on sentimental problems.

Sainete

Carlos Arniches created Madrid Sainetes, imitating the speech of the people and mixing grotesque tragedy... Continue reading "Spanish Theater: From Conservatism to Avant-Garde" »