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

Characteristics of the Picaresque Novel

• The protagonist is a rogue of very low social rank or estate, often offspring of parents without honor.
• Autobiographical narration.
• The protagonist is an anti-hero, destined to fail and remain a rogue.
• Moralizing and pessimistic ideology.
• Itinerant structure with satirical intent.
• Strong realism, even naturalism.
• Narration in the first person.
• The rogue class does not rise in social standing.

Lazarillo de Tormes: An Anonymous Picaresque Novel

Plot Summary

Lázaro, as a child, begins to serve his first master. Throughout the novel, he serves many masters, gaining unique life lessons from each.

Themes and Structure

The novel is composed of a prologue and seven "treatises" (chapters). The book is autobiographical and,... Continue reading "Spanish Golden Age Literary Genres and Masterpieces" »

Spanish Theater in the Early 20th Century

The Second Decade: Noucentisme

During the second decade, the theater exhibited Noucentista characteristics: rationalism, anti-romanticism, a preference for classical and intellectualized expression of emotions, a defense of pure art, and works directed towards a knowledgeable, sophisticated audience. There was extreme concern for the design, structure, and language of the work.

Leading Authors of the Second Decade

• Ramon del Valle-Inclán: In his primitive stage, he wrote works like Romance of Wolves and Eagle Crest. Their common features are violence, cruelty, brutality, destruction, passion, myths, and superstitions. There are plenty of marginal and strange beings. During his time of artificial distancing,

Characteristics of Spanish American Spanish

The discovery of America in 1492 marked the beginning of an era of colonization, leading to the implantation of Castilian Spanish across the new continent. This process resulted in a distinct variety of Spanish, characterized by features that differentiate it from Peninsular Spanish. These characteristics are determined by several key historical and linguistic factors:

• Pre-Classical Origin: The Spanish brought to America originated primarily in the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries (pre-classical period), before the complete consolidation of the modern Peninsular sound system.
• Regional Settler Influence: Among the early settlers and conquerors, individuals originating from Andalusia and Extremadura

Characteristics of Romantic Poetry

In subject matter, love figures prominently, often a passionate love that is usually impossible to achieve. The lexicon is populated by words that reflect the spirit of the times: dissatisfaction, pessimism. Metrics are used in all types of stanzas and verses.

Trends of Romantic Poetry

• Lyric or Sentimental Poetry: Major cultivators of lyric poetry were Espronceda, the Duke of Rivas, Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer, and Rosalía de Castro.
• Narrative or Historical Poetry:
  • Historical Poem: Medieval themes.
  • Philosophical Poem: Cultivated by Espronceda (e.g., "The Student of Salamanca").
  • Narrative Poem: Romance restored by the Duke of Rivas.
  • Legend: Focuses on folkloric traditions; the main cultivator was José Zorrilla.
• Social

Spanish Avant-Garde Movements

During the first third of the twentieth century in Europe, there was a real burst of creativity, generating many aesthetic movements that followed one another, intersecting in a few years and at an accelerating rate. These are called Avant-Garde movements, and include Futurism, Cubism, Expressionism, Dadaism, and Surrealism. They are characterized by their experimental effort and willingness to break with the past. The Avant-Garde movements do not form a coherent system; they are very different, even contradictory and opposite.

In Spain, the founder of the avant-garde was Ramón Gómez de la Serna. He wrote novels, plays, and essays, but his fame is mainly due to his "greguerías": one-sentence compositions that... Continue reading "Spanish Avant-Garde Movements & Theater Before the Civil War" »

Spanish Literature: Post-Civil War Poetry and Theater (1940-1970)

Poetry from 1940 to 1970

Introduction

The end of the Spanish Civil War dramatically altered the landscape of Spanish poetry. Some of the great poets died during the conflict, while others went into exile. Vicente Aleixandre, Dámaso Alonso, and Gerardo Diego remained in Spain and influenced post-war poets.

Poetry Scene Since 1939: Miguel Hernández

Miguel Hernández stands out as a leading figure, skillfully combining traditional techniques with avant-garde elements and popular tradition. His first book was *Perito en lunas*, and he reached his full poetic potential in *El rayo que no cesa*. His central themes are life, love, and death, often reflecting his status as a prisoner, his... Continue reading "Spanish Literature: Post-Civil War Poetry & Theater" »

Literary Analysis: Key Themes in Classical Works

The Tragedy of Oedipus Rex: Plot Summary

This section locates the central dialogue and storyline of Sophocles' tragedy, Oedipus Rex. This fragment corresponds to the major dramatic elements of the work, including the episode and exodus. The theme of this text is of vital importance in understanding fate and free will.

The Prophecy and Fulfillment

The general abstract of the work is that an oracle warned Laius he would be killed by his own son. Determined to escape his fate, Laius tied the feet of his newborn son and left him to die on a lonely mountain. His son was rescued by a shepherd and given to the King of Corinth, who named him Oedipus.

Oedipus did not know he was adopted. When an oracle proclaimed... Continue reading "Literary Analysis: Oedipus Rex and Dante's Divine Comedy" »

The Pre-Renaissance Period (14th Century)

This era marks the nature of transition between medieval and modern times, characterized by a sense of crisis (insecurity and pessimism) and the belief that the world was governed by chance.

Key Italian Authors and Works

• Dante Alighieri (1265–1321), Italy
  • Vita Nuova (New Life): Love poems dedicated to Beatrice (representing the dolce stil novo style).
  • The Divine Comedy: An allegorical poem about the fate of mankind.
• Francesco Petrarch (1304–1374), Italy
  • Canzoniere (Songbook): Dedicated to Laura (dolce stil novo).
  • Initiator of Humanism; transformed the love lyric genre.
• Giovanni Boccaccio (1313–1375), Italy
  • The Decameron: A collection of stories.

The Spanish Songbooks (Cancioneros)

The lyrics of the fifteenth-... Continue reading "Literary Transition: Medieval to Modern Times (14th-15th Century)" »

Romanticism: Origins and Characteristics

Romanticism is a cultural, literary, and artistic movement that took place in Europe during the first half of the 19th century. Its emergence coincided with the crisis of absolute monarchies. In this era, nationalism also developed, asserting the culture and language of each nation. As a result of the Industrial Revolution, the bourgeoisie became the ruling social class. Liberalism emerged as an ideological movement advocating economic and political freedom. Idealism replaced rationalism.

The first manifestations of Romanticism appeared in Germany in the late 18th century through the Sturm und Drang movement (meaning 'Storm and Stress' or 'Storm and Passion'). Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was a pre-Romantic... Continue reading "European Romanticism: Prose Literature and Key Figures" »

Understanding Literary Forms and Genres

Prose vs. Verse: Fundamental Literary Forms

Prose is a literary form of expression most similar to everyday speech and its natural distribution. It also exhibits different levels of development and aesthetic artifice.

Verse: Its most characteristic feature is musical rhythm. The musicality of verse is achieved through the following resources:

• Accents: The disposition of accents within a verse determines the rhythm of the poem.
• Rhyme: The repetition of certain sounds from the last stressed vowel in each line.
• Syllabic Count: The repetition of the same number of syllables in all verses, or the alternation between two or more syllabic schemes, determines the creation of different rhythms.

Figures of Speech: Enhancing