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

Spanish Pre-Renaissance and Renaissance Literature

The Renaissance emerged in Italy during the 14th Century. Key authors included Dante, Petrarch, and Boccaccio.

The Spanish Renaissance

The Spanish Renaissance is typically divided into two stages:

• 1st Stage: Pre-Renaissance (15th Century) - A period of transition. Christian, political, social, and moral creations were based on two parallel lines:
  • Traditional Folk Poetry (lyric traditional ballads)
  • Courtly Literature (poetry, courtly romances, and books of chivalry)
• 2nd Stage: Renaissance (t-5) - This designation refers to a later period.

Transition and New Thought

In the transition from the medieval period to the Renaissance, a new thought emerged: Humanism. This was the germ of a new vision of life,... Continue reading "Spanish Pre-Renaissance Literature and Poets" »

Understanding Romanticism

Romanticism was an artistic and literary movement that triumphed in the mid-nineteenth century. Its development was influenced by social and political changes that definitively settled the last vestiges of the old regime.

Historical Context

The French Revolution, occurring in the late eighteenth century, provided political, ideological, and social benefits that spread throughout Europe.

The Industrial Revolution began in England in the late eighteenth century and spread throughout Europe during the nineteenth century.

Key Features of Romantic Literature

Mariano José de Larra is a leading author of the Romantic period.

Rebellion

Romantics questioned the morality of their time and bourgeois values.

Avoidance

Confrontation with... Continue reading "Understanding Romanticism: Key Aspects, Literature, and Authors" »

Federico Garcia Lorca

Lorca's drama is written in verse and prose and is characterized by tragic lyrical feeling. Frustration, love, and unsatisfied desire are recurring themes in his theater. Among his works are farces such as The Shoemaker's Prodigious Wife, historical dramas like Mariana Pineda, avant-garde theater such as The Public, and rural tragedies like Yerma, Blood Wedding, and The House of Bernarda Alba. In his avant-garde theater, the playwright delves into experimental theater with The Public, a work that explores passionate love.

His rural tragedies include Blood Wedding, a play about the impossibility of love due to social differences; Yerma, a work where motherhood is frustrated and stressed; and The House of Bernarda Alba, considered... Continue reading "Federico Garcia Lorca, Unamuno, Azorín, and Baroja: Spanish Literature" »

Bernardi Graña: The Poet of the Sea

Born in Cangas do Morrazo, Bernardi Graña published his first book, Poems a Man Wanted to Live, in 1959 during his stay in Madrid. He graduated in Romantic Philology and taught both within and outside Galicia. He later returned to Cangas, where he currently resides.

While he also wrote plays and narrative, primarily in children's literature, it was in poetry that he developed his major work. His collection, Prophecy Poems of the Sea and Not Seeing Vigo and Cangas, earned him the nickname "Poet of the Sea," as its central theme revolves around the sea and seafaring life.

Other notable poetic works include Within Our Love for All the Fish, Sar Walked Up, and Anthem Green Light in November. Graña's poetry is... Continue reading "Prominent Galician Writers: Bernardi Graña & Xosé Luís Méndez Ferrín" »

The Art of Eloquence: Rhetoric and Public Speaking in Ancient Rome

The art of eloquence, or public speaking, is necessary in all societies. There will always be an occasion where one has to lead an audience, to convince them, or to express joy, sorrow, or pain. In Roman society, with its political assemblies and courts, mastery of the word was essential for young people of good standing who would engage in politics. It is not always the one who is right who convinces, but the one who best defends his 'reason.' For this, the technique, i.e., Rhetoric, is necessary.

Understanding Rhetoric: The Art of Speaking Well

Rhetoric is a set of procedures for speaking well. This skill was learned in schools of rhetoric. As the art of speech, it was applied... Continue reading "Mastering Public Speaking: Roman Rhetoric and Cicero's Legacy" »

The Trial of Paris

Aphrodite appears alongside Hera and Athena. Two cherubs accompany her. Eris, angered by not being invited to a wedding, sows discord among the guests. Zeus decides to let Paris, a young Trojan prince, choose the most beautiful goddess. Hermes, the messenger god, presents Paris with the apple of discord.

Perseus and Andromeda

Perseus and his mother, Danae, are saved and find refuge in a kingdom. The king desires Danae, but Perseus, aided by Athena and Hermes, defeats the king. On his journey, Perseus rescues Andromeda from a monstrous dragon. The two cherubs symbolize their love. Upon returning, Perseus uses Medusa's head to turn the king to stone. He then founds Mycenae.

Diana and Callisto

Callisto, a nymph, becomes pregnant... Continue reading "Mythological Tales: Paris, Perseus, Diana, and Vulcan" »

Postmodern Thought and Its Characteristics

Postmodern thought is characterized by its rejection of ideologies, aesthetic theories, and schools. It practices different languages and mixes disciplines. It defends popular culture, the conception of the artwork as an object of mass communication, and the hybridization of styles. Postmodern thinking is reflected in everything from the taste for the fusion of genres. It is also unusual that the author plays with references known to the reader to build surprising texts. The relativism of thought favors the use of resources such as humor and irony.

Contemporary Spanish Literature (Since 1975)

Literature since 1975 presents a predominant feature: the attempt to regain the reader after the experimentalist... Continue reading "Postmodernism and Contemporary Spanish Arts" »

This compilation highlights significant literary works and authors from Hispanoamérica (Latin America) during the 20th century, showcasing a diverse range of styles, themes, and genres.

Horacio Quiroga: Macabre and Morbid Tales

Horacio Quiroga, known for his tragic life, produced works full of macabre and morbid themes. His notable contributions include:

• Los arrecifes de coral (The Coral Reefs)
• Otro crimen (Another Crime)
• Historia de un amor turbio (Story of a Shadowy Love)
• El último amor (The Last Love)
• Cuentos de amor de locura y de muerte (Tales of Love, Madness, and Death)
• Salvaje (Savage)
• Cuentos de la selva (Tales of the Jungle)
• Anaconda
• Los desterrados (The Exiles)
• El desierto (The Desert)
• Más allá (Beyond)

Eustasio José Rivera: Colombian Literary

Key Poets of the Generation of '27

Rafael Alberti: Neotraditional Poet

Rafael Alberti is a poet best representing the neotraditional line, inspired by traditional sources such as cancionero ballads and lyrics. His poetry was often politically compromised, and he was exiled after the Spanish Civil War. A notable work is Marinero en Tierra (A Sailor on Shore, 1925).

Pedro Salinas: The Poet of Love

Pedro Salinas was a prominent love poet. His work shows an evolution of pure poetry, characterized by a cutting-edge, personal, and intimate style. He reflected on life's mysteries, particularly love. Key works include: La Voz a Ti Debida (Love You Voice Due, 1933), Razón de Amor (Because of Love, 1936), and Largo Lamento (Long Lament, 1939), which reflects... Continue reading "Spanish Literary Masters: Generation of '27 & Early 20th Century Theater" »

History as a Literary Genre

The Greek word "history" means investigation of facts. Greeks interpreted it as a narrative of true events. However, in early Rome, a high degree of patriotism prevented historians from sticking to the facts of the matter. Roman historiography has a moralizing character, emphasizing the mores maiorum, the customs inherited from ancestors. Cicero considered history IUF Magistra. In Cicero's opinion, history was oratorium maxime opus, the maximum expression of oratory skill.

Origins of Roman Historiography

The Annales Pontificum were notes taken by the Pontifex Maximus on a white table called an album to commemorate events worthy of remembrance. Later, the term Annales was used for accounts of events prior to the historian'... Continue reading "Roman Historiography: From Origins to the Republic" »