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

Literary Genres

The different types of works are different literary genres.

Lyric

Lindas are roses, and flowers are prettier, my loves.

Epic or Narrative

Long ago, in a land far away, lived a giraffe of average height but so sloppy that once it came out of the jungle and got lost.

Drama or Theatre

Maria, do you go home? Henry: My house is in the neighborhood longer.

Lyrical Genre

The lyric generally groups the texts composed in verse in which the author transmits firsthand their feelings and emotions.

Example: Who do I tell my complaints to, my beautiful love? Whom will I confide my complaints to if it is not you?

The Epic or Narrative Genre

The epic or narrative works together where there is a narrator who recounts some fictional facts featuring characters.... Continue reading "Understanding Literary and Grammatical Genres" »

Miguel Hernández (1910-1942)

Four stages are established in his poetry:

• a) A stage characterized by Baroque-tone poetry.
• b) In 1936, he published "El rayo que no cesa" ("The Unending Lightning").
• c) During the war, a battle poetry that seeks to serve the Republican cause and published "Viento del pueblo" ("Wind of the People"). These are poems that mourn the death of Lorca. Miguel Hernández: "Man is a hunter."
• d) Naked and deep poetry.

1940s: Poetry and Literary Magazines

Poetry developed around three magazines: "Escorial," "Garcilaso," and "Espadaña."

• "Escorial": Poets of the Generation of '36 met, opting for intimate poetry with traditional lyrical themes: love, death, land, and landscape.
• "Garcilaso": Officially supported the Franco regime, consolidating

Key Features of Modernism

• Rejection of everyday life: Focus on the past and exotic locations.
• Formal perfection: The pursuit of beauty and "art for art's sake."
• Importance of rhythm: Recovery and invention of new verses.
• Lexical renewal: Use of exotic, mythological, and mysterious vocabulary (e.g., Castile, princes).
• Topics: Focus on foreign themes and the poet's intimacy.

Characteristics of the Generation of '98

• Close friendship: A group opposed to the Restoration.
• Interest in Castile: A deep love for the land and nationalism.
• Rupture of forms: Breaking classical forms to create new ones.
• Pessimism: A prevailing sense of disillusionment.
• National issues: Themes centered around the land and the state of Spain.
• Moderation: Use of the fair and effective

Saint Teresa of Jesus (1515-1582)

Literary Work

Saint Teresa authored an autobiography detailing her visions and spiritual experiences, characterized by its profound simplicity. She lays bare the corners of the human soul, achieving literary excellence despite having limited formal education. Her work, presented continuously for the approval of her confessors and the Church, stands as a model of Renaissance prose.

The writings of Saint Teresa emphasize the spirit of prayer, methods of practice, and the resulting spiritual fruits. Her primary prose works include:

• The Way of Perfection: Addressed to her fellow nuns.
• The Book of Her Life: Her autobiography.
• The Interior Castle: A doctrinal treatise on mystical experiences.

Saint John of the Cross

Major

Spanish Avant-Garde: Ramon Gomez de la Serna

The Spanish avant-garde movement found its primary driver in Ramon Gomez de la Serna, who popularized futuristic ideas and cutting-edge literary features. While he wrote across all genres—including novels, plays, essays, and memoirs—it was in his greguerías that his ingenuity truly shone. A greguería is a clever combination of metaphor and humor, such as: "The guitarist makes the dog flea" or "The journey is the cheapest way to move a finger on the map."

Creationism and Ultraism

Creationism, introduced to Spain by Vicente Huidobro, posits that the creative act is the poet's highest aspiration. Creationists seek unusual imagery through free verse; Gerardo Diego's Manual de espumas (Manual of Foam)... Continue reading "Spanish Avant-Garde and the Generation of '27" »

The Majorcan School of Poetry (1840–1950)

The Majorcan School covers a period from 1840 to 1950, featuring prominent teachers such as Joan Alcover and especially Miquel Costa i Llobera. It is now understood that the Majorcan School represents a very specific poetic power, including the contributions of two generations of writers. These poets, grouped in the so-called Majorcan School, presented common thematic and stylistic features. Although contemporary with modernist aesthetics, their work is characterized by formal and stylistic perfection, which led them to become models for Noucentiste poets to imitate.

Core Features of the Majorcan School

• Will of formal perfection: A dedication to technical mastery.
• Nationalism: A traditionalist return

The Final Masters of Lazarillo de Tormes

El Capellán: The Seventh Master

El Capellán (The Chaplain) represents the opportunist who uses others for profit. He offered Lázaro his first job with pay. Lázaro spent four years with this master to receive the amount of money needed to buy clothes and a sword. Once Lázaro got what he needed, he left his master and his craft.

El Alguacil: The Eighth Master

El Alguacil (The Constable) represents the law of that era. Lázaro finds that the office is very dangerous for his master, so he leaves.

El Arcipreste de San Salvador: The Ninth Master

El Arcipreste de San Salvador is Lázaro's last master. He is the one who arranges for Lázaro to marry his servant. He also represents the corruption of the clergy,... Continue reading "Lazarillo de Tormes: Final Masters and Picaresque Themes" »

The end of the Spanish Civil War in 1939 left a bleak cultural outlook: death, exile, humiliation, or muted expression. This year marked, in practice, a "year zero" for poetry in Spain. Federico García Lorca and Antonio Machado were dead, and much of the Generation of '27 was in exile. The Silver Age of Spanish literature had reached its tragic end.

Between 1939 and 1975, Spain lived under the dictatorship of Francisco Franco. The post-war period was marked by international isolation and severe political repression. Poets remaining in Spain either aligned with the ideology and aesthetics of the victors (known as Poesía Arraigada or "Rooted Poetry") or maintained an internal exile (Poesía Desarraigada or "Uprooted Poetry").

The 1950s saw an... Continue reading "Spanish Poetry After the Civil War: Franco Era to Transition" »

Medieval Catalan Literary Developments

13th Century Foundations

Organyà Homilies

The first quarter of the 13th century saw the retention of text in the Organyà Homilies (sermons of the parish of Organyà) explaining the gospel for the town. During the reign of James I (1213–1276), the Crown of Aragon was consolidating, and the Kingdom of Valencia was founded. The compilation of charters of Valencia dates to 1261. The former Crown of Aragon utilized two languages: Catalan and Aragonese.

14th Century Shifts and Humanism

Francis Eiximenis

Towards the end of the fourteenth century, new ideas from Italy began to influence life, bringing a new worldview and addressing vices. This new movement, called humanism, saw the birth of **Francis Eiximenis**... Continue reading "Catalan Literature Milestones: 13th to 15th Centuries" »

The Religious Lyric: Fray Luis, San Juan, and Santa Teresa

Two Schools of Thought

School of Salamanca: Focused on religious, moral, and philosophical issues, with a clear and simple style. Content is prioritized over form. Fray Luis de Leon is its primary representative.

Seville School: Characterized by a rhetorical style full of literary devices. Form is prioritized over content. The chief representative is Fernando de Herrera, who was in love with Leonor de Milan (platonic). Juan de Mal Lara influenced Fernando de Herrera.

Fray Luis de Leon

Fray Luis de Leon was closely linked to Salamanca, where he taught at the University. In his poems, he learned to synthesize the essence of the Christian Renaissance. His poetry is not extensive. The central... Continue reading "Religious Lyric Poetry: Fray Luis, San Juan, Santa Teresa" »