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

The Generation of '27 in Spanish Literature

Definition

The term Generation of '27 refers to the group of Spanish poets who shared common features and began writing in the 1920s. The name specifically references the year 1927, when most members participated in a tribute to the Baroque poet Luis de Góngora. Some critics argue that this period represents the Silver Age of Spanish literature.

Authors and Core Features

The central core of the Generation included:

• Pedro Salinas
• Jorge Guillén
• Dámaso Alonso
• Gerardo Diego
• Federico García Lorca
• Rafael Alberti

These writers shared several key characteristics:

• Many coincided at the Residencia de Estudiantes in Madrid.
• They were of similar age and possessed a high literary culture.
• They generally held liberal attitudes

• Noucentisme
• Noucentisme, a cultural movement in Spain during the 1910s, positioned itself as the voice of the new century, opposing the characteristics of the previous era.
• While the Noucentista writers didn't share a unified group identity, they had overlapping traits:
• • Strong intellectual foundation: They were primarily philosophers, essayists, historians, and critics.
  • Europeanism: This distinguished them from the Generation of '98, which focused on Castilian themes.
  • Emphasis on meticulous craftsmanship: Like Juan Ramón Jiménez, they valued well-thought-out work, rejecting improvisation.
  • Rationalism: They prioritized intellectual rigor, objective analysis, and clear presentation.
  • Anti-romanticism: They rejected sentimentality and passion, favoring

Introduction

Spanish literature production during the Civil War was scarce and tended to serve the interests of each side. These works were often urgent and of poor quality. The conflict caused a deep cut with the earlier tradition. After the war, Spanish intellectuals like Pérez de Ayala, Jarnés, and Francisco Ayala Sender, who supported the Republic, were forced into exile or faced death.

Young novelists at the beginning of the 1940s found themselves in a depleted atmosphere. Censorship was imposed not only on young artists but also on any work, past or present, that opposed the regime's ideals.

This period also includes the production of exiled writers after the war, with their reflections on Spain, the Civil War, and its aftermath.

Some notable... Continue reading "Spanish Literature: Civil War to 1975 and Beyond" »

Post-War Spanish Poetry

After the Civil War, poetic production divided into two main groups:

• Poets in Exile: Covering topics such as the lost homeland, often with a bitter tone.
• Poets in Spain: Starting a process of rehumanization, with themes revolving around existential and social problems.

The 40s and Early 50s: Generation of '36

These poets are known as the Generation of '36. Two major trends stand out:

Rooted Poetry (Arraigada)

Grouped around the magazine Garcilaso. Influenced by a religious feeling present in classical forms, presenting a consistent, orderly, and serene worldview. Topics covered include family and nature. Poets in this group include Luis Rosales and Leopoldo Panero.

Uprooted Poetry (Desarraigada)

Represented by the magazine Espadaña.... Continue reading "Spanish Poetry Movements After the Civil War" »

Lope de Vega and the New Comedy

In the 17th century, Lope de Vega combined literary quality with the ability to attract the public. In 1609, Lope wrote his New Art of Making Comedy, a short, ironic work in which he attempts to explain and defend his theatrical conception against those who criticize the apparatus of classical acts. He proposed the following:

• Divide the comedy into 3 acts, calling them "jornadas".
• Mix the tragic and the comic.
• Mix social strata in the comedy, even appearing in the most serious works.
• The work should have a single action and develop in the same place and during one "jornada".
• Plays are written in verse.
• The writer uses different types of stanzas according to the situations.

Lope admits that the rules of Classical Theater... Continue reading "Spanish Golden Age Theater: 17th Century Drama" »

Juan Ramón Jiménez: Pure Poetry and Noucentisme

Juan Ramón Jiménez, a key poet of Noucentisme, sought what he called "pure poetry," moving beyond mere sentimentality.

Poetic Style and Influences

Although chronologically associated with the Generation of '14 (or Noucentisme), Jiménez's work connects significantly with both Modernism and later avant-garde movements. He initially embraced Modernism and became influential for many avant-garde authors.

His aim was to reach truth and, through it, eternity. For him, accuracy is beauty. Poetry serves as a source of knowledge, a way to grasp the essence of things.

Evolution and Key Works

Juan Ramón Jiménez developed a precise and accurate poetic style. His poetry evolved through distinct stages. A... Continue reading "Juan Ramón Jiménez: The Quest for Pure Poetry" »

The late 19th and early 20th century in Spanish literature saw a series of innovations and changes. Pessimistic authors reflected the societal anxieties of the time. Their works often conveyed frustration and hopelessness. Influenced by Schopenhauer, they explored the idea that overcoming pain and suffering requires giving up on worldly desires. This led to a focus on lost history, internal conflict, and fragmented protagonists. The writers of '98 were united in their protest against the customs and situation of Spanish society, offering a personal and subjective view of things.

Valle-Inclán was one of the most avant-garde writers, beginning in modernism and evolving towards the grotesque. His major prose works include the Sonatas (Autumn,

Livelihood:

That which should be itself and not another.

Diverse Conceptions of the Soul

Its substantial identity. Del Alma: In substance, spirit will not admit of a composite or material existence. Del Alma is to be concrete, and to port an individual to a substance to order or resemble a universal form. Clinamen is considered to be the soul tied to the body, as the pilot of a ship, safe in its independent tendencies to substance.

Source Del Alma

As he formed the Soul

1. Traducianism:

   ESIS is the position of Tertullian and St. Augustine. Consensus is that your soul is the result of your parents.

2. Emanation:

   EI (the soul) is to be emanating from his substance (Stoic) or will not return (Neoplatonism). For Spinoza, the soul emanates from substance; for

The Evolution of Languages in Spain

Official and Co-official Languages

The constitution establishes Castilian (Spanish) as the official language of Spain. Galician, Basque, Catalan, and Valencian are recognized as co-official languages in their respective regions.

Linguistic Diversity

Linguistically, there are varieties that are not considered languages, such as Asturian and Aranese.

Historical Language Formation

The most widespread languages in ancient times were Iberian, Celtic, and Basque. Other languages like Tartessian were spoken in the south. Phoenician, Greek, and Carthaginian were established on the coasts. These pre-Roman languages eventually disappeared, but some terms reached the current Castilian.

Romanization and Romance Languages

During... Continue reading "Evolution of Languages in Spain: From Romanization to Today" »

Spanish Verbs: Tenses and Moods

Indicative Mood

• Preterite Imperfect: singing
• Preterite Perfect Simple: I sang
• Future Imperfect/Conditional Simple: sing
• Preterite Perfect Compound: I sang
• Preterite Pluperfect: had sung
• Preterite Anterior: I had sung
• Future Perfect: I will have sung
• Conditional Perfect: could sing

Subjunctive Mood

• Present: singing
• Preterite Perfect: has sung
• Preterite Imperfect/Preterite Pluperfect: had sung
• Future Imperfect: sing
• Future Perfect: he has sung

Non-Personal Forms

• Gerund: singing
• Participle: sung

Verbal Expressions

• Obligation: haber de, tener que, deber
• Probability: deber de, poder, venir a

Verbal Aspects

• Inchoative: burst out, get to, begin to
• Repetitive: go back to
• Terminative: finish, stop
• Durative: being, walking, followed
• Resultative: