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

**15th-Century Literature: A Blend of Medieval and Humanist Ideals**

**Key Literary Models of the Era**

• Dante Alighieri: Author of *The Divine Comedy*
• Francesco Petrarch: Known for his love poetry, which influenced European literature
• Giovanni Boccaccio: A model for sentimental prose

**Characteristics of the Mixture of Humanism and Medieval Themes**

• Chivalric subjects
• Evaluation of fame
• Admiration for a cultivated style
• The demise of the medieval schools of clergy and minstrelsy

**Learned Poetry**

This style, also called "cancionero" because the poetry is preserved in the songbooks of the time, is conceptual and addresses issues such as love, satire, and morality. Love poetry is modeled after medieval courts, while the lyrical theme mimics the moral-allegorical... Continue reading "15th-Century Literature: Humanism, Poetry, Prose, and Theater" »

Key Characters

• Santiago Nasar: The central character, a 21-year-old from a powerful family.
• Angela Vicario: Accused Santiago of taking her virginity.
• Bayardo San Román: A newcomer, known for his courage and arrogance, who marries Angela.
• Placida Linero: Santiago's mother, who fails to foresee her son's death.
• Christopher Bedoya: A childhood friend of Santiago.
• Pedro and Pablo Vicario: Angela's twin brothers, obligated to avenge the family honor.

Authors

Mario Vargas Llosa

A writer whose fiction varies in each novel, always seeking to renew structures and ways of expression to approach Latin American reality. Works include: The City and the Dogs, Talk in the Cathedral, Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter, The War of the End of the World.

Miguel Angel Asturias

Nobel... Continue reading "Key Characters and Authors in Latin American Literature" »

Romantic Lyricism: Definition and Features

Romantic lyric is a literary piece written in verse that has the characteristics of the Romantic movement.

Key Features:

• Directly linked with the author's emotions and experiences.
• Identification of nature with the author's moods.
• Presence of religious elements.
• Identification of the poet with his work, incorporating elements of their life.
• Polyrhythm, meaning the lines are not metrically equal.
• Use of romantic elements, such as metaphors and expressive resources.

Latin American Representatives of Romanticism:

• Martín Fierro
• Rubén Darío
• Esteban Echeverría
• Juan Zorrilla
• Juana Inés de la Cruz

Juan Antonio Pérez Bonalde: Romantic Lyricist (19th Century)

Life and Influences:

• Left Venezuela due to disagreements with

Marcus Fabius Quintilian

Marcus Fabius Quintilian stands as the highest representative of Roman eloquence in the eyes of our era. Of Spanish origin, he was born in Calahorra, in the province of Hispania Tarraconensis, around 40 AD. He soon went to Rome, where he was taught by the most important rhetoricians of the time. In the last years of Nero's government, he returned to Spain, but was recalled by Galba in 68 AD and remained in Rome until his death.

The Emperor Vespasian appointed him teacher of rhetoric, and Domitian later commissioned him to educate his nephews. In stark contrast to his public life, which was full of fame and success, his private life was very unhappy, as he soon lost his wife and two young children.

In 90 AD, Quintilian... Continue reading "Masters of Roman Oratory: Quintilian and Cicero's Legacy" »

Jorge Carrera Andrade (1903-1978)

Jorge Carrera Andrade was born in Quito, Ecuador, in 1903. A distinguished public servant, he served as an ambassador, diplomat, minister, and vice-chairman of the House of Culture. He also participated in the founding of the Social Christian Party.

His main poetic works include:

• Juan sin Cielo (Juan without Sky)
• Estanque Inefable (Ineffable Pond)
• El Aro de Silencio (The Wreath of Silence)
• El Papel de la Manzana (The Role of the Apple)
• Lugar de Origen (Place of Origin)
• Microgramas (Micrograms)

His prose works include:

• El Sendero del Sol (The Path of the Sun)
• Viajes y Libros por Países (Travels and Books by Country)
• Interpretaciones Latinoamericanas (Latin American Interpretations)

His spiritual and poetic development unfolded... Continue reading "Ecuador's Poetic Masters: A Literary Journey" »

Garcilaso de la Vega

Considered the prototype of the courtly lover, Garcilaso de la Vega renews poetic concepts and introduces a new sensibility. He recuperated classical forms and introduced new metrical forms.

Themes

• Petrarchan Conception of Love: Impossible love, inspired by his beloved; uses the Petrarchan ideal of feminine beauty to describe it.
• Idealized Nature: Refined and harmonious. A desire to escape from court life and a longing for rest and peace leads to the description of the locus amoenus (pleasant literary topic).
• Mythology: Recreates myths that combine love, despair, and death.

Style

Sober and simple style without artifice, expressing feelings naturally and with literary elegance. Recovers concepts like carpe diem to emphasize the... Continue reading "Key Figures and Literary Styles of the Spanish Golden Age" »

The Novel in the Generation of '98

As indicated in the chapter on the Generation of '98, the novel is the most important genre for many cultured members of this group. The subjects they prefer are Spain, the causes of decay, history, people... further reflection on man and his destiny. These authors do not care about the history of great characters, but for what Unamuno called the intra-historia, i.e., 'the quiet life of thousands of people without history.' Another key element in the novels of the Generation of '98 is the description of the landscape as a reflection of a particular mood.

With regard to form, these authors rely on simplicity and clarity, fleeing empty rhetoric and long sentences. The most important thing is the plot, background,... Continue reading "Generation of '98: Key Novelists and Literary Features" »

Luis Cernuda

Under the influence of Surrealism, Cernuda abandons metrical regularity. Visionary poetic images abound in his work. These images are also used to express love, which excludes homosexual choices.

Forbidden Pleasures

This work maintains dream images and incorporates prose poems. It is a voluntarily hermetic book. Cernuda attacks repressive society and defends rebellion against the rules, which allows access to forbidden pleasures.

Donde Habite El Olvido

In the poems of Donde Habite El Olvido, the pain intensifies. The duality between the angel and the devil represents the duality between reality and desire. However, desire is the source of creation because it represents the need to create, live, and love.

Jorge Guillén

Jorge Guillén... Continue reading "20th Century Spanish Poetry" »

Lyric Poetry: Forms and Evolution

Lyric poetry presents two main forms:

• Traditional Lyric

  These texts are almost always anonymous, with their first manifestations appearing in the 11th century. They are short songs, often filled with jarchas, characterized by simplicity and expressiveness. They emphasized a collective dimension, focusing on rural areas and common topics.

  Traditional Lyric: Key Aspects

  • Topics

    Serves as an expression of feelings or situations rooted in collective existence. Examples include love songs, albadas, wedding songs, harvest songs, and work songs (e.g., March and May songs).

  • Geographical Scope

    Includes jarchas, Galician-Portuguese lyric, and traditional Castilian lyric.

  • Metrics and Style

    Characterized by simple metrics, short

Federico García Lorca: Poetic Excellence and Mastery

Federico García Lorca combined a prodigious artistic intuition with a fine sense of music and rhythm. His poetry is marked by elaborate mastery in the art of verse. We can note the influences of Arabic-Andalusian poetry in his work. His striking images and metaphors contributed significantly to the renewal of Spanish poetic language.

Two themes are repeated insistently throughout his career: his frustrated love and the tragic sense of life. Metrically, both new and traditional forms coexist in his verse.

The Three Stages of Lorca's Poetic Career

We can distinguish three major stages in Lorca's poetic development:

Stage 1: Early Works and Lost Innocence

• This stage includes his first two books: