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

Gonzalo de Berceo: Life and Works

Berceo is considered the first known poet in the Castilian language, writing within the tradition of the Mester de Clerecía (Clergy's Craft).

Berceo's Works: Classification

Lives of Saints

In these works, the protagonist is not a hero, but a saint who stands by his virtues. Berceo knew classical sources and adapted his inspired works to the tastes of the people, who were used to hearing the stories offered by minstrels (juglares). Works belonging to this group include:

• Vida de Santo Domingo de Silos
• Vida de San Millán
• Life of St. Oria

Doctrinal Works

This group includes:

• The Sacrifice of the Mass
• The Signs That Will Appear Before the Judgment
• The Martyrdom of Saint Lawrence

These works generally possess less literary... Continue reading "Medieval Spanish Poetry: Berceo's Mester de Clerecía and Juan Ruiz's Ambiguity" »

The Generation of '27: Summary and Outline

(Unit 15 / 4)

Common Features of the Generation of '27

• Shared characteristics: Age, culture, ideology, and space.
• Admiration for Góngora.
• Synthesis of classic and modern elements.

Avant-garde Influences

• Metric freedom (free verse).
• Emphasis on sound and score (musicality).
• Use of metaphor.
• Illogical images (Surrealism).

Stages of the Generation of '27

1. Early Stage (Pre-1927): Pure poetry, dehumanized themes.
2. Stage of Rehumanization (1928–1936): Themes of anxiety and rebellion (influenced by Pablo Neruda).
3. Post-1936 Stage: Themes of exile and ethical and social concern.

Key Poetic Elements

• Irrational imagery.
• Free verse and blank verse.

Representative Authors and Themes

• Pedro Salinas: Love
• Jorge Guillén: Abstract concepts
• Gerardo

A. Alvarez's The New Poetry and the Gentility Principle

A. Alvarez's The New Poetry is a poetic anthology featuring figures of postwar Great Britain. The introduction, titled “The New Poetry or Beyond the Gentility Principle,” sets the stage for the collection, which is divided into two sections: British and American poems.

Alvarez strongly supported American styles but reproved the excessive “gentility” of British poetry, criticizing its assertion of overly orderly and polite attitudes. He attributed this attitude to British isolation, but argued that after World War II, isolation and the “forces of disintegration” began to destroy the old principles of civilization. Thus, the new English poetry required “a new seriousness.”... Continue reading "A. Alvarez, Ted Hughes, and the Rise of Confessional Poetry" »

Luis de Góngora

Góngora's work can be divided into traditional and Italianate minor poems, and major poems. He also wrote poems for other party elders.

Traditional Poems

• Romances: Dealing with diverse issues, these can be serious or farcical.
• Letrillas: These are compositions where the end of each verse is repeated as a refrain. The issues are often ludicrous, but religious themes are also present.

Italianate Poems

Sonnets

The theme of love, in line with Renaissance writers, appears in his sonnets. Later, sonnets with themes of disillusionment and poems of circumstance emerge.

Major Poems

• The Fable of Polyphemus and Galatea: A mythological subject told in octaves.
• Soledades (Solitudes): A long poem in four parts. It is written in silvas, and its theme

Renaissance Decadence and Italian Influence

The decadence of Renaissance poetry in Catalan literature saw Spanish influence. Ausiàs March attempted to introduce metrical innovations from Italy. Pere Serafí influenced the incorporation of popular and Italian poetry. A conservative approach, counter to these trends, continued the tradition of March.

Baroque Poetry and Castilian Models

Catalan Baroque poetry was characterized by the prestigious imitation of Castilian poetic models, focusing on metrical structure and rhetorical linguistic expression. Francesc Vicent Garcia, a high representative, created contrived and elegant poetry with a strong satirical intent in his humorous and eschatological works.

The Recovery of Poetry: The Renaixença

During... Continue reading "Catalan Poetic History: Decadence, Renaixença, and Modernism" »

The Generation of '27: Poets, Themes, and Literary Context

Key Authors of the Generation of '27

Pedro Salinas (1892–1951)

• Early works aligned with the pure poetry of Juan Ramón Jiménez, featuring abundant futurist elements.
• His poems reflect the anguish and inquietude caused by war.

Jorge Guillén (1893–1984)

• Maintained faith in life despite the world's difficulties.

Vicente Aleixandre (1898–1984)

• His poetry expressed a desire for fusion with nature, which he considered the only existing reality.

Federico García Lorca (1898–1936)

• Early books cover themes like love, pain, and frustration.
• Poems composed in the U.S. denounced capitalist society, which he saw as subordinate to money and power.
• A great dramatist who sought to renew Spanish theater

The Generation of '98

The Generation of '98 is the name traditionally given to a group of Spanish writers deeply affected by the political, social, and moral crisis in Spain following the military defeat in the Spanish-American War of 1898. The loss of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines had a profound impact on the nation's psyche.

Key Authors

Authors who comprise this generation include:

• Miguel de Unamuno
• Pío Baroja
• Azorín
• Ramiro de Maeztu
• Antonio Machado
• Valle-Inclán

Cultural Context

The cultural scene in the early twentieth century was marked by a sense of hopelessness. Intellectuals of the late nineteenth century, led by Francisco Giner de los Ríos, founded the Institución Libre de Enseñanza (Free Institution of Education). This institution... Continue reading "The Generation of '98: A Literary Movement in Spain" »

Antonio Machado: Life, Work, and Influence

Born in Seville in 1875, Antonio Machado led a bohemian lifestyle in his youth. He traveled to Paris, where he met and married Leonor Izquierdo. Her early death left him in deep depression. Machado died in Collioure, France, in 1939. As he famously said, he was "a man (in the good sense of the word, good)."

Antonio Machado's Poetic Trajectory

His writing profoundly influenced subsequent Spanish lyric poetry. His work can be divided into three main stages:

• Intimate Modernism: His early compositions reflect a unique understanding of modernism, focusing on deep sentimental intimacy and romanticism.
• Concern for Castile and Spain: This stage is dominated by the Castilian landscape and a patriotic concern for

The Generation of '98 and Early 20th Century Theater

Characteristics of the Generation of '98

Most writers belonging to the Generation of '98 shared a rebellious attitude against bourgeois values. Their texts prominently feature themes such as the landscape, old cities, and national identity.

Stylistically, they advocated a return to simplicity, sincerity, and expressive, living language. Given their profound subjectivity, each writer developed a clearly distinct personal style.

Major Figures in the Generation of '98

Miguel de Unamuno (1864–1936)

His earlier books include existential reflections on time, life as a struggle, death, and descriptions of the vicissitudes of everyday life. Key early works include:

• Poetry
• Rosario lyrical
• Sonnets

In 1920,... Continue reading "Spanish Literary Modernism: '98 Generation and Early Drama" »

Latin American Political Shifts and Social Unrest

Initially, the narrative may not overtly focus on political aspects, but over time, the deep-seated discontent of workers with the Conservative Party becomes evident. People had endured enough of the injustices inflicted upon them. This widespread dissatisfaction led the working class to align with the Socialist Party. Eventually, the Socialist Party managed to gain power, achieving a significant victory. This allowed them to propose and enact just laws for everyone.

However, the Conservative Party vehemently disagreed with the left-wing government and orchestrated a coup d'état, led by Augusto Pinochet. This action received support from the United States, which was wary of Latin America becoming... Continue reading "Latin America: Political Turmoil and Magical Realism" »