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

The Baroque Era: A Period of Profound Change

The Baroque was a cultural and artistic movement that developed during the seventeenth century. This period coincided with a time of serious economic, social, and political challenges.

Causes of Decline in the Baroque Period

• Misery and depopulation of the interior.
• The expulsion of the Moriscos.
• Monarchs left government in charge of "validos" (favorites).
• Bankruptcy and decreased arrival of American resources.

Thought and Culture in the Baroque

The Baroque was a period marked by disappointment and pessimism. Humanistic ideals were abandoned, and there was a turn towards religion. However, a deep awareness of the crisis was reflected in a culture of violent contrasts. This fostered a taste for the "rebuscado"

Didactic Prose

Didactic prose answers the intention of approaching pedagogical works. Several types can be distinguished:

Doctrinal Prose

Doctrinal prose writings are reflective, of a philosophical type. Its maximum representative is Baltasar Gracián, characterized by verbal wit, precision, and expressive rigor. He pursued concision and reached a hermetic language aimed at a cultured minority. His work answers an intention to seek a doctrinal model of a person able to overcome vices. The most important works are: The Hero, The Art of Worldly Wisdom, The Art of Prudence, and The Mind's Acuity and Art of Ingenuity.

Philological Prose

Classical works of this period are:

• Sebastián de Covarrubias: authored the Treasury of the Castilian or Spanish Language.

Copulative Conjunctions

Y, E

Adversative Conjunctions

But, however

Explanatory Conjunctions

That is, namely

Alternative Conjunctions

O, U

Distributive Conjunctions

So, for instance, consequently

Modernism

Features

Modernism receives various influences:

• Parnassianism: Pursues the expression of beauty and formal perfection.
• Symbolism: Aims to find the true reality of things behind symbolism.

Key issues of Modernism:

• Recreating beautiful places and objects.
• Presenting sensations and emotions.
• An aristocratic rejection of reality.
• Evasion in space and time towards the past, distant, and exotic lands.
• Incorporating cultism and words chosen for their sound and ability to evoke feelings.
• Searching for musicality, recovering classical verse.

Rubén Darío

Born in Metapa,... Continue reading "Modernism, Naturalism, and Key Authors in Literature" »

Art in its Origins: Paleolithic Period

The earliest artistic expressions date back to the Upper Paleolithic period (15000-10000 BC). These expressions include sculptures, prints, parietal paintings, and megaliths.

Portable Art

These are objects or small utensils with some form of decoration, including small sculptures, weapons, utensils, and small female figures (Venus figurines).

Parietal Art

This refers to art created on rocky surfaces.

Franco-Cantabrian Area

In 1879, Marcelino Sanz de Sautuola discovered the Altamira caves, which contain polychrome paintings. These large animal figures are believed to have been created to foster successful hunts, with colors obtained from natural pigments.

Levantine Area

This area features monochrome art representing... Continue reading "Ancient Art: Paleolithic, Mesopotamian, and Megalithic" »

Lyrical Genres

• Ode: A poem expressing elevated feelings, often with a formal tone.
• Elegy: A poem expressing grief or sorrow over loss.
• Track/Lyrical Composition: Sung poems of varying length, often exploring themes of love.
• Eclogue: Works featuring idealized shepherds and expressing love in idyllic settings.

Narrative Genres

• Epic: A long narrative poem about the deeds of a heroic figure or the history of a nation.
• Chanson de Geste: A long poem about a hero and their adventures.
• Novel: A long, complex narrative with a central character and intricate plotlines.
• Tale: A short story with a concise narrative and a striking ending.
• Apologue: A story with a clear moral purpose.
• Fable: A short story, typically with animals as characters, conveying a moral lesson.

Innovators and the Generation of '27

During this period, Spain experienced a decline due to the loss of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. Writers of the time expressed great discontent with the state of Spain. Despite political instability, a literary boom occurred.

The Avant-Garde Movements

The Avant-Garde movements arose, sharing several characteristics. Unlike the past, they rejected realism, sentimentality, reason, logic, and traditional metrics. They embraced free verse, original elements, neologisms, and references to current events.

The Avant-Garde can be divided into two groups:

Optimistic Avant-Garde

• Futurism: Focused on new technologies.
• Ultraism
• Creationism: A Hispanic movement created by Vicente Huidobro.
• Cubism: Figures are drawn

Roman Engineering and Society

Roman Roads: Connecting the Empire

The primary purpose of Roman road construction was to facilitate control over all territories within the Roman Empire, enabling easy access to any region. The Roman army played a crucial role in their construction, advancing inch by inch throughout the empire.

Roman roads were categorized by their width and intended use:

• Via: A broad road, suitable for vehicles.
• Iter: A path for walking with pack animals or litters.
• Actus: A path for a single vehicle or animals.
• Semitia: A small way or footpath.

Road Construction Techniques

Roman roads were typically designed to follow a straight line, though diversions were made when terrain exigencies demanded. Once the route was determined, construction... Continue reading "Roman Engineering & Society: Roads, Aqueducts, Urban Life" »

Ausias March: "Even as One Who is Near Death"

This poem by Ausias March is part of the "Lily Among Thorns" cycle. The poet compares his intense love for the lady to the dangers a man faces in a full storm. In this particular case, the lady's love is within reach, yet she is not gracious about it; her revenge will be to boast to everyone about her pride.

• Composed of 8-verse decasyllabic stanzas with crossed rhymes (creu-creuada).
• It begins with a comparison that serves to quantify the desperate pain the poet now feels.

We also find another poem in the "Lily Among Thorns" cycle where the poet expresses his misfortune in not seeing his love requited.

Cerverí de Girona: "Do Not Take the Wrong Husband"

Cerverí de Girona, a 13th-century poet, is considered... Continue reading "Masterpieces of Catalan Poetry: From Medieval to Romantic Eras" »

Historical and Cultural Context of Latin American Literature

The literary landscape of Central and South America, alongside Spain, has been shaped by significant historical events:

• 1825: Independence movements across many Latin American nations.
• 1898: Independence of the last Spanish colonies.
• 20th Century: Characterized by military dictatorships, widespread poverty, and a persistent defense of cultural identity, often regardless of economic conditions.

Anti-Modernist Poetics: The Plain Language Movement

A significant stylistic shift emerged as a reaction against Modernism, advocating for plain, even simple colloquial language. Key figures in this movement include:

• Gabriela Mistral
• Alfonsina Storni
• Juana de Ibarbourou

Visual resources, such as Apollinaire... Continue reading "Latin American Literary Movements and Key Authors" »

Garcilaso's Eclogue: Structure and Form

Eclogue of Garcilaso: Silva: Verse form using 7 and 11 syllable lines, with no fixed rhyme scheme, combined as the poet desires. Stanza: A silva repeated after a certain number of verses. Eclogue 1: Structure: Consists of 30 stanzas.

Content and Setting

From the pastoral genre, it features two shepherds. Salicio laments the lack of affection from the shepherdess Galatea, and Nemoroso mourns the death of Elisa. Salicio and Nemoroso represent two moments in Garcilaso's life. The setting is a locus amoenus (a pleasant place).

Sections of Eclogue 1

1. Three stanzas: A dedication to the King of Naples, set at dawn.
2. A stanza: Introduces Salicio and the sunrise in the locus amoenus.
3. Twelve stanzas: Salicio's monologue,