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

The Nature and Forms of Literary Art

Defining Literature and Literary Language

Literature is an art whose raw material is language, which the writer manipulates in order to produce an aesthetic and emotional effect on the recipient. The term refers to the peculiar relationship literary fiction keeps to reality. Literary language is used in a manner intentionally seeking to create aesthetic impressions and emotions in the reader. The functions of literature are to entertain, amuse, and convey ideas.

The first text on literature defined poetry as 'bullying' done by means of words. Literature imitates reality; it is inspired by the real world. But it is not an exact copy: the writer uses part of reality to recreate a world we call literary fiction.... Continue reading "The Fundamentals of Literary Art and Genre Classification" »

The Roman Republic: Foundations of Ancient Governance

Tradition holds that after the expulsion of the Etruscan king Tarquinius Superbus, the Roman Republic was established. Its first two rulers were Lucius Junius Brutus and Lucius Tarquinius Collatinus. With the end of the monarchy, a republican system of government was installed, based on citizen choice. This system, which included citizen assemblies and magistrates (some with judicial roles), along with the Greek model, serves as a direct historical reference for modern democratic political systems.

The Roman Republic's governmental structure was characterized by three core principles for its magistrates: annuality (holding office for one year), collegiality (sharing power with at least one... Continue reading "Roman Republic and Senate: Governance in Ancient Rome" »

The Minstrel and Mester of Minstrelsy

The Minstrel was a poet who recounted events and deeds of heroes from history and legend through epic poems. This craft, or art of storytelling, was known as the Mester of Minstrelsy.

The Minstrel's Role and Performance

The minstrel's mission was to recite, and even dramatize, epic tales. They traveled through towns and castles, entertaining people by reciting verses from memory. Epic poems were primarily composed for oral transmission, not for reading.

Minstrels provided various forms of entertainment, including:

• Singing
• Dancing
• Reciting lyric poems accompanied by instruments to enliven festivals

Minstrel vs. Troubadour: Key Distinctions

The primary difference between a minstrel and a troubadour is as follows:

• A

Luis Sepúlveda and the Post-Boom Narrative

This passage, belonging to Luis Sepúlveda's novel The Old Man Who Read Love Stories, is a literary text within the narrative genre. Its author, born in Chile in 1949, is a leading novelist of the post-boom era of Latin American literature, but has also cultivated other genres such as poetry and short stories (cuentos).

In this work, awarded the Tigre Juan Prize and translated into fourteen languages, Sepúlveda presents the story of Antonio José Bolívar Proaño. He is a lonely old man who, having spent many years living with the Shuar Indians (who came to consider him one of their own), knows all the secrets of the Amazon rainforest. However, his territory is now threatened by the arrival of the... Continue reading "Analysis of Luis Sepúlveda's The Old Man Who Read Love Stories" »

Realism

From the second half of the nineteenth century, a new movement began, Realism, which represented a reaction to the Romantic writers of Romanticism. Instead of seeking a subjective contemplation of reality, the authors gave a more objective, realistic view. Throughout Europe, a series of social changes were taking place, including the emergence of the proletariat. Realist writers began to report the negative consequences of these changes.

Characteristics of Realism:

• They prefer factual descriptions and dialogues that characterize the characters.
• The protagonists are ordinary men and women.
• Works have a social intent and subject matter drawn from reality.
• Narrative grows mostly.
• In France, Balzac and Flaubert are highlighted, with Madame Bovary.

Roman Architecture

Religious Structures

Roman temples were often prostyle, featuring columns only on the front side. Many were pseudo-peripteral, with columns attached to the temple's perimeter. They typically had a single tier providing access to the pronaos, rising on a podium (base).

Civil Structures

• Basilicas: These were of great importance for the administration of justice and commerce. They typically featured three rectangular, lintel-covered naves.
• Baths (Thermae): Public baths were highly significant. They included meeting rooms, libraries, sports areas, and were often free. These complexes comprised various rooms.
• Theaters and Amphitheaters: Roman theaters gave less importance to the orchestra and chorus areas. They were semicircular, with

Gabriel García Márquez and the Latin American Boom

The novel, Chronicle of a Death Foretold, was written by Gabriel García Márquez, who was born in Colombia in 1928 and won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1982. García Márquez belongs to a group of storytellers who drove the Latin American narrative in the 1960s (known as the Boom).

Key Characteristics of the Boom Narrative

The most significant features of this literary movement can be classified into:

• Magical realism
• The incorporation of the subconscious
• The presence of death
• The breakdown of linear time
• Illogicality
• Experimentation with language
• The sacred meaning of the body

Chronicle of a Death Foretold: Genre and Themes

This is a short novel that blends elements of the news story and detective... Continue reading "Analyzing Chronicle of a Death Foretold Structure and Style" »

Influences

A) Hispanic Roots: Literary modernism was born in Latin America with authors like José Martí and Rubén Darío.

B) The Influence of Parnassianism and Symbolism:

• Parnassianism: Parnassians sought, above all, the formal perfection of the literary work. It represents an attempt to escape from the reality of their time through the creation of an artificial reality where only beauty matters.
• Symbolism: Symbolism is an art form against which reality is merely represented. Symbolists intend to go beyond what can be perceived by the senses. Their mission is to find those other realities that exist behind the apparent reality and struggle with language to suggest them to the reader through the musicality of the text (literary resources).

C)

Fernando de Rojas: Author of La Celestina

Fernando de Rojas (La Puebla de Montalbán, Toledo, 1470 – Talavera de la Reina, Toledo, 1541) was a Spanish dramatist, renowned as the author of the tragicomedy, La Celestina. This work is considered one of the top achievements in Spanish literary history and marks a crucial, transitional point between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.

Birth, Converso Heritage, and the Inquisition

Rojas was born into a family of conversos (Jewish converts) who faced repeated scrutiny and trials by the Inquisition for secretly practicing Judaism. Rojas actively assisted his family members, known as Marranos, affected by these persecutions. Documents related to his own accusations by the Inquisition strongly support... Continue reading "Fernando de Rojas: Life, Authorship, and La Celestina's Literary Legacy" »

Bernat Metge

His stepfather introduced him to the Royal Chancellery, where he held important positions and eventually became secretary. Metge was one of the writers significantly influenced by humanism. His most important work is Lo Somni (The Dream), in which he appears and tells the king that he is not in hell.

Jaume Roig

He authored Espill (Mirror) or Llibre de les Dones (Book of Women), a work written using the medieval technique of the noves rimades (new rhymes). He employed short verses and a fast pace. The work is divided into four books where the protagonist recounts her life, detailing various marriages. The woman is depicted as a collection of defects, almost as a human evil. This work has been considered a precedent to the Spanish picaresque... Continue reading "Literary Giants of Catalan and Valencian Heritage" »