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

Spanish Theater at the Beginning of the Twentieth Century

The development of drama was influenced by social constraints, primarily aimed at middle-class audiences who were not particularly interested in social problems or ideological themes. Playwrights had to cater to public demand, but faced limited financial resources for their works. Consequently, authors who adhered to these constraints were not marginalized.

The result was a period of relative stagnation in Spanish theater, characterized by a lack of innovation and renewal.

Background of Theater in the Second Half of the 19th Century

Romantic drama evolved into more balanced and thoughtful forms, culminating in the rise of high comedy.

Characteristics of High Comedy:

• Contemporary Setting
• Observation

Romance Languages of Spain

Post-Roman Empire

After the fall of the Roman Empire, Latin and Roman culture declined in many regions. However, in areas with stronger Roman influence, the language persisted and diversified into various dialects known as Romance languages.

Romance Language Family

• Hispanic
• French
• Italian
• Rheto-Romance
• Romanian
• Sardinian

Several of these Latin-derived languages became historically significant.

Mozarabic

In Muslim-conquered territories, Arabic became the dominant language. However, the Christians living under Muslim rule, known as Mozarabs, preserved their Romance language, Mozarabic.

Central Romance

Castilian

During the 9th century, the Kingdom of Asturias sought to fortify its eastern border. Fernán González unified the counties... Continue reading "Romance Languages in Spain: History and Evolution" »

Spanish Theater: Franco Era and Beyond

In the 1940s, the Spanish theatrical scene was dominated by a "national" theater in service of the dictatorship. The elusive theater, such as bourgeois comedy and humorous drama, triumphed. At the end of the 1940s, realistic protest theater emerged in 1949 with the premiere of Story of a Ladder by Buero Vallejo. This trend was later confirmed with the work Death Squad by Alfonso Sastre.

From the 1970s, a cutting-edge theater emerged with Fernando Arrabal and Francisco Nieva, influenced by the theater of the absurd and the theater of cruelty. Nor should we forget that in the late 1960s, independent theater emerged. From 1975, playwrights were attracted to contemporary issues.

Commercial or Evasive Theater

Postwar... Continue reading "Spanish Theater: Franco Era, Protest & Humor" »

Causes of the Late 15th Century Transformation

• The era of discoveries and the application of great inventions (compass, gunpowder).
• The rise of Humanism.
• Columbus's discovery of America.
• The development of the bourgeoisie.

Cultural and Historical Facts of the 15th Century

The rougher forms of medieval life were refined, extending the bourgeois mentality, and culture became a feature of social distinction. Columbus's discovery of America marked a pivotal moment.

Characteristics of Castilian Popular Lyric

• Variety
• Depicts nature
• Repetition
• Puns
• Contrasts

Romances: Forms and Origins

New Romances

Romances written by cultured poets of the 15th and 17th centuries.

Old Romances

A collection of romances that were sung at the end of the Middle Ages.

Theories on Romance

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Classical Influence and Pure Poetry

Poets of the Generation of '27 received the influence of Spanish classics, such as Góngora and Juan Ramón Jiménez. The influence of Bécquer and classical forms is evident in the use of hendecasyllables, tenths, eighths, and sonetos reales. Bécquer's presence is felt in the love poetry of Salinas and Cernuda.

Pure poetry, influenced by Juan Ramón Jiménez's poems and Dámaso Alonso, is exemplified by Pedro Salinas's La voz a ti debida. This work is part of a trilogy that includes Razón de amor and Largo lamento. In it, the beloved gives meaning to the existence of the lover.

Avant-Garde Poetry

Avant-garde movements that influenced the Generation of '27 were Creationism, Ultraism, and Surrealism. The... Continue reading "Classical and Avant-Garde Influences in Spanish Poetry" »

Primitive Castilian Lyric

Primitive Castilian lyric forms, conserved in Spain, serve not just as testimony to the first written lyrical compositions of our language. It was thought that popular lyric flourished in Castile. It was not possible to find samples of this poetry until Gonzalo de Berceo in the late fifteenth century. Menéndez Pidal defended the existence of a primitive Castilian popular lyric that was transmitted orally until the fifteenth century, characterized by indigenous styles.

The Villancicos and Other Forms

The Villancicos are a primitive vernacular lyric, used to be sung at parties. Their characteristics include:

• Anonymous: Unknown authorship.
• Popular: Aimed at a broad audience.
• Traditional: Minstrels played a role in their dissemination.

The Novecentista Novel

The Novecentista novel is characterized by two main features: descriptive lyricism, which focuses on feelings, and the presence of non-fiction passages. In these works, the fundamental element is not the action but rather the reflection and portrayal of characters and their environments.

• Gabriel Miró was a writer of a lyrical character, with works such as The Bishop or Our Father, Saint Daniel.
• Ramón Pérez de Ayala evolved from realism to symbolism in works like Belarmino and Apolonio or Tigre Juan.
• Ramón Gómez de la Serna introduced the avant-garde in Spain and was the creator of greguerías. A greguería is a short, witty statement that combines humor and metaphor.

The Noucentista Essay

José Ortega y Gasset summarized... Continue reading "Key Spanish Literary Movements of the Early 20th Century" »

Juan Ramón Jiménez: Life and Work

This great natural poet from Moguer (Huelva) was born in 1881. The death of his father in 1905 profoundly impacted the author's personality. Since then, he suffered periodic nervous depressions for which he was interned in various sanatoriums where he received proper psychiatric care. In 1911, he met Zenobia Camprubí, whom he married in New York in 1916. During the Spanish Civil War, he joined the Republican side and had to emigrate to America, where he remained until his death in 1958. Two years before, in 1956, he won the Nobel Prize for Literature. He was a person who looked deeply at the time. Withdrawn and lonely, he rejected various honors, such as belonging to the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE). He represents... Continue reading "Juan Ramón Jiménez: Life, Works and Poetic Style" »

The Castilian Language

Castilian Spanish is derived from Vulgar Latin. It expanded during the Reconquista and reached its peak in the 13th century. The Poem of the Cid is considered the first significant piece of literature in the language. During the reign of Alfonso X, known as the Wise, Castilian replaced Latin in official use. The 14th and 15th centuries saw the creation of notable works in Castilian, such as The Book of Good Love, the verses of Jorge Manrique, and La Celestina. At the end of the 15th century, it was brought to America by conquerors, and in 1492, the first Castilian grammar was published. In the 16th century, Castilian Spanish, then called simply Spanish, reached its golden age. In the 18th century, the Royal Spanish Academy... Continue reading "Spanish, Basque, Catalan, and Galician: A Linguistic Overview" »

Medieval Literature: Lyric Poetry

Traditional Lyric Poetry

Songs that people sing to accompany domestic work and other activities. The main topic is anonymous love. These compositions are transmitted orally.

Cultured Lyric Poetry

Refined lyric poetry composed by troubadours. The theme of courtly love in the south is exemplified by the jarchas (the earliest lyrical expressions). In the northwest, there's the Galician-Portuguese lyric (12th century). In the northeast, there are the cantigas de amigo, influenced by Provençal troubadour poetry. In the middle of the peninsula, the metrical form used is the villancico, where a traditional chorus is repeated with stanzas.

Lyric Poetry in the Fifteenth Century: Jorge Manrique

Jorge Manrique, born in 1440... Continue reading "Medieval Literature: Lyric and Narrative Poetry Analysis" »