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

Latin American Poetry: Postmodernist and Modern Poets

Latin America. Poetry. Postmodernist poetry.

Delmira Agustini

Agustini. Focusing on nature and love. Colors appear. The white paper and calyces are empty.

Juana de Ibarbourou

Juana de Ibarbourou. She had much success with her poetry. Presence of absolute nature.

Alfonsina Storni

Alfonsina Storni. Covers topics on the independence and freedom of women. Themes that appear include love and the struggle with nature.

Gabriela Mistral

Gabriela Mistral. In her poetry, she was strongly influenced by her personal life. Religious elements appear. Topics: nature, failed motherhood, infancy, love, death, and women.

Poetry Influenced by the European Avant-Garde

Poetry influenced by European avant-garde.

César Vallejo

César

Cultural Characteristics of the Medieval Period

1. Theocentricism: The Centrality of the Church

The Church was the sole institution holding knowledge during the Middle Ages. It directed nearly all aspects of life, including religion, education, and literature. Monasteries housed the only libraries and books, often kept in the scriptorium.

• Book Production: Books were expensive, typically made of leather. Reading was rare and often restricted.
• Church Authority: The Church's authority was undisputed, largely because it controlled access to books and learning. This privilege began to diminish with the Renaissance, as the number of printed books multiplied.

Literary Features and Authority

Medieval literature began to develop with religious themes, although... Continue reading "Defining Features of Medieval Culture and Thought" »

Spanish Literature in the 1940s

Alarmist Novel

• Representative Novel: The Family of Pascual Duarte
• Narrator: Autobiographical account, 1st person
• Argument: Extreme situations
• Characters: Antiheroes
• Space: Sordid environments
• Ideological Aspects: It is determined by the education received
• Style: Misrepresenting the truth

Existential Novel

• Representative Novel: Nothing, a story of the 1st person, frustrating experiences of Andrea
• Topics: Existential anguish and extreme situations
• Characters: Protagonist individual
• Time: Brief, reduced
• Area: Closed, asphyxiating places

Novels of the 1950s

Precursor Novel

• The Beehive
• Witnessing society
• The cruelty to the weak and lack of ethical values
• Developed language
• Character: Collective
• Narrator: Omniscient observer and subjective
• Time:

NEW:

1. Introduction to Modernism

Arose in Catalonia between 1892 and 1911. Catalonia desired a national and European identity, unlike the Reinaixença. It showed a desire for modernization, renovation efforts, and a cosmopolitan spirit. There were two stages:

- Combative Stage (1892-1898):

Artists criticized society and aimed to impose their vision. They carried out their work in cultural centers in Barcelona (Els Quatre Gats brewery) and Sitges (Cau Ferrat) and with publications such as L'Avenç.

- Established Stage (1898-1911):

The bourgeoisie accepted Modernism. It was the most fruitful period. The Joventut magazine was important. Modernism ended with the death of Joan Maragall. It established a special relationship between artist and society.... Continue reading "Catalan Modernism: Poetry, Prose, and Cultural Renaissance" »

Luis de Góngora

Unlike other authors such as Lope de Vega and Quevedo, Luis de Góngora's writing is almost exclusively poetic. He cultivated poetry both in its traditional forms and in the popular underground cult. In both cases, the tone of his poetry can range from the most serious, beautiful, and noble to the cartoonish, humorous, festive, and burlesque.

Letrillas and Romances

Góngora is an accomplished poet in both types of compositions.

• His letrillas and ballads (Da bienes Fortuna; Lloraba la niña; Hermana Marica, among others) cover a great variety of themes. They maintain the vitality, beauty, grace, and charm typical of this type of verse, but Góngora does not renounce the elaborate language, expressiveness, and artifice of his cultivated

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

The Epic Genre: Definition and Characteristics

Epic poetry (or Épica), as a literary genre, consists of poems in verse whose central theme is extraordinary and heroic action, often featuring mythical, historical, legendary, or fictitious characters.

Synonyms and Core Concepts

• Epic: Long narrative poems focusing on heroic deeds, war activities, and significant historical characters.

Comparison: Chronicle vs. Epic Poetry

• Focus:
  • Chronicle: Recounts factual events, particularly the discovery and conquest of America.
  • Epic: Focuses on extraordinary and heroic deeds, belonging to its own literary (artistic) genre.
• Form:
  • Chronicle: Written in prose.
  • Epic: Written in verse (poetry).
• Subject Matter:
  • Chronicle: Relates important facts of discovery and conquest.
  • Epic:

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