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

The Second Half of the Nineteenth Century: Socioeconomic Transformations

The second half of the nineteenth century saw socioeconomic transformations throughout Europe, brought about by the Industrial Revolution. These changes marked the consolidation of the bourgeoisie, the appearance of the working class, and the rise of the trade union movement, socialism, Marxism, and anarchism.

Spain in the Late Nineteenth Century

In the case of Spain, the second half of the nineteenth century began during the reign of Isabel II. Her reign erupted in 1868 with the Glorious Revolution (La Gloriosa), which forced the royal family into exile. This opened the Revolutionary Six Years (Sexenio Democrático), during which the First Republic was proclaimed.

In 1875,... Continue reading "19th Century Spain: Industrial Change and Literary Realism" »

Topic: The social corruption denounced by Berganza in the narrative of his life, the cynical philosophical disquisitions of both dogs on social conventions and the evil in the world. Argument Peralta read the book where Campuzano wrote a conversation between two dogs while sleeping. Campuzano. The reading begins with Berganza, who tells his life to his fellow Scipio. Berganza believed to have been born in Seville, perhaps in the slaughterhouse, where he had his first master, the butcher Nicholas Romo. He escaped from the cruelty of the butcher and later lived with pastors in the country, as guardian of the flock. Unable to find the master of the misdeeds of the shepherds, wolves, returns to Seville and serves a rich merchant. Out of loyalty... Continue reading "Berganza's Life: Social Critique and Cynical Philosophy" »

Spanish Theater After the Civil War

The Aftermath and Early Trends

After the Civil War, the Spanish theatrical landscape was marked by the exile and disappearance of major playwrights. Following the war, a national theater emerged, supported by the dictatorship and used to transmit its ideology. Both the State and the Church exercised rigid censorship.

Two main dramatic lines developed:

• Teatro de humor (Theater of Humor): Focused on portraying truth through humor. Notable authors include:
  • Enrique Jardiel Poncela (Los ladrones somos honrados - The Thieves Are Honest People)
  • Miguel Miura (Tres sombreros de copa - Three Top Hats)
• Comedia burguesa (Bourgeois Comedy): Aimed to educate through the praise of virtue. Works were characterized by perfect construction

Literary Movements in 20th-Century Spanish Prose

Azorín and Unamuno: Stylistic Innovations

Azorín's prose is dominated by simple sentences. Furthermore, the structure of novels was refreshing; for example, Unamuno chose to call his original stories nivolas.

Novecentismo (The 1900s Movement)

3.1 General Characteristics and Ideals

The ideas of Novecentismo have their roots in bourgeois reformism and the defense of republican ideals. The movement involved the appearance of a new type of intellectual discipline: a solid, college-preparatory education expanded abroad. Hence, Novecentists favored a disciplined and sober examination of problems, claiming objectivity and rationalist clarity, aimed at training minorities.

There are frequent statements of... Continue reading "Spanish Literary Movements: Novecentismo and Postwar Fiction (1939–1950)" »

Catalan Narrative and Drama: 1920–1939

Factors Driving the Catalan Novel (1920–1939)

The narrative of this time saw several factors contributing to the growth of the novel genre:

• Stocks of major writers.
• Literary prizes to encourage the creation of the genre.
• The birth of publishing houses.
• The emergence of literary criticism.

Major Aesthetic Models of the Catalan Novel

The primary aesthetic models included:

• The novel of the Modernist tradition.
• The psychological novel.
• The novel of humor and social criticism.

The Modernist Tradition Novel

Modernist authors reappeared during this period. The main topics covered the impact of individuals on the world around them. Techniques derived from naturalism and realism, but also received Russian influence.

Example:

La Galatea

In 1585, Cervantes published the first part of La Galatea, a pastoral novel centered on the theme of love. Its basic plot is simple, set in a confined space and over a very short time. This narrative incorporates several key elements:

• Interpolated Tales: The main storyline includes accounts of the love lives of shepherds.
• Poetry: While most of the book is written in prose, poetry is incorporated, reflecting the shepherds' poetic nature.
• Philosophical Debates: The novel offers philosophical discussions about love.

La Galatea is an unfinished novel; Cervantes promised a second part, which he never wrote.

Exemplary Novels

Cervantes' Exemplary Novels are diverse, encompassing realistic and idealistic narratives, critical and conformist perspectives,... Continue reading "Miguel de Cervantes' Masterpieces: Novels and Novellas" »

Romance in Spanish Literature

Romance: A romance is a series of indefinite assonant rhyming eight-syllable verses in pairs. The rhyme is the repetition of phonemes in the final verse from the last accented vowel. When all phonemes agree, it is a consonant rhyme, and when only the vowel sounds match, it is an assonant rhyme.

The Origin of Romance

Romance is an indefinite series of eight-syllable verses because they have no proper structure. They are an import of what were the "epics". These songs were oral poems, songs of people who were in town for minstrels. There comes a time when some parts of the most popular songs were made, then the people started again and learned, becoming a new poem. Thus, the romance was born. All parts did not remember... Continue reading "Understanding Romance in Spanish Literature: Definition and Characteristics" »

Spanish Literature in the 14th and 15th Centuries

The Evolution of Poetry and the Rise of Romance

Late 14th-century poetry saw a decline, giving way to shorter compositions with assonance and rhyme. A prominent form that emerged during this period was the Romance, characterized by short, oral poems composed of an indeterminate succession of octosyllabic lines rhyming in assonance in pairs.

Romances are broadly classified into two categories:

• Old Romances: Originating in the 15th and 16th centuries, these are characterized by their oral, traditional, and anonymous nature.
• New Romances: Emerging in later centuries, these are more elaborate, written, and often attributed to individual authors.

Origin and Formation of Romances

Two main theses explain... Continue reading "Spanish Literature in the 14th and 15th Centuries: Romances and La Celestina" »

Baroque Art: 17th-18th Centuries

The Baroque period was defined by the significant influence of the Church in Rome and a primary artistic goal of capturing the viewer's attention with dramatic and emotional works.

Baroque Architecture

Key architectural features included:

• The use of curves, twisted solomonic columns, and broken pediments.
• Introduction of multiple light sources to create dramatic effects from different viewpoints.
• Employment of the giant order and monumental dimensions.
• Urban planning that created grand roads and squares leading to principal buildings.
• Prolific creation of elaborate fountains.

Baroque Sculpture

Sculpture in the Baroque era emphasized:

• Movement: Conveyed through flowing drapery and dynamic poses.
• Drama: Achieved through the

Latin Literary Topics

• Beatus Ille: Praises country life over city life.
• Locus Amoenus: Presents the idealization of a paradise where man is in harmony with nature.
• Carpe Diem: Encourages seizing the moment. Widely used, especially in the Renaissance, it emphasizes enjoying every moment of life.
• Collige, Virgo, Rosas: Highlights unrecoverable youth and beauty; an invitation to enjoy love (symbolized by the rose) before time passes.
• Tempus Fugit: Time is intangible and cannot be stopped or retrieved. This phrase is a call to use time wisely.
• Ubi Sunt?: A lament; a rhetorical question about moments, places, or people lost to time, leaving only memories.

Lope de Vega

Biography

Félix Lope de Vega Carpio (1562-1635) explored nearly all literary genres of... Continue reading "Lope de Vega: Life, Works, and Literary Influence" »