Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and exercises for Latin for Secondary education

Germanic Origins of the Spanish Language

In the 5th century, Germanic peoples arrived in the Iberian Peninsula from lands north of the Roman Empire. Although their presence hardly altered the existing linguistic situation, groups like the Suevos, Vandals, and Alans preceded the Visigoths. The Visigoths, a strongly Romanized people, came to dominate Hispania. They brought their taste for epic poems (Hazañas de Héroes) to our country.

Germanisms are words of Germanic origin introduced into our language by the Visigoths. Examples include:

• Burgo (borough)
• Falda (skirt)
• Ganso (goose)

Arabic Influence on the Spanish Language

In 711, the first Arabs arrived in Spain, and shortly after, they dominated a large part of the peninsula. In the 10th century,...

Modernism (1892-1906)

What period does Modernism encompass? From 1892 until 1906.

What characterizes this movement? The introduction of different aesthetic tendencies considered modern.

What stylistic trends contribute to renewed Modernist poetry?

• Regeneracionisme → Vitalism: Joan Maragall → Espontaneisme.
• Aestheticism → Symbolism: Rusiñol → Decadentisme.
• Pre-Raphaelitism: Alexandre de Riquer and Jeroni Zanné.
• Parnassianism (School of Mallorca): Miquel Costa i Llobera, Joan Alcover, Gabriel Alomar.

What kind of novels thrive during Modernism?

• The Naturalistic Novel: Raimon Casellas, The Fiery Assistant; Víctor Catala, Solitude; Adaptations: The Life and Death of George Fraginal.
• The Decadent Novel: Prudenci Bertrana, Josafat; Miquel de Palol,

Romanticism: A Revolutionary Movement

Romanticism is the revolutionary movement that exalts releases and feelings in all aspects of life: society, politics, and morality. In the arts, this hymn to freedom was manifested as a break with Neoclassicism.

Francisco de Goya and the Transition

Goya, the Spanish painter (1746–1828), symbolizes the transition from Neoclassicism to a romantic sensibility.

The Triumph of Feelings Over Reason

Feelings replaced reason; Romantic works do not aspire to achieve perfect works. Instead, the deep objective used is to achieve this feeling, mystery, and creative freedom.

First Half of the Nineteenth Century

José Zorrilla (1817–1893)

Ideological aspects: National themes and the exaltation of the Spanish national past...

Medieval Spanish Poetry

The cantares de gesta are medieval epic poems that represent the heroic deeds of historical or legendary figures. They were recited by juglares (minstrel artists) who traveled from village to village, and their songs spread orally among the people. The cantares de gesta belong to the mester de juglaria (minstrelsy).

Characteristics of the Cantares de Gesta

• Popular, irregular meter
• Assonant rhyme
• An indeterminate number of verses per laisse
• Heroic themes
• Oral transmission, with the minstrel's intention to inform the audience about heroes

Cantar de mio Cid

The Cantar de mio Cid is an epic poem sung by an anonymous juglar in the 12th century. It recounts the adventures of the Castilian hero Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar, known as the Cid

Key Figures in 20th Century Catalan Literature

Josep Maria de Sagarra

His extensive and varied work, though belonging to the early twentieth century, felt closer to Modernism. Sagarra's career as a poet began with the collections of lyrics and popular songs, "Cançons d'abril i de novembre" (Songs of April and November). Notable works include "El comte Arnau" (Count Arnau), a Christmas poem. As a prolific theatrical author, he penned 37 works, including "L'Hostal de la Glòria" (The Inn of Glory) and "La corona d'espines" (The Crown of Thorns).

Josep Pla i Casadevall

Pla's vast body of work, collected in 44 volumes, is a varied patchwork reflecting the times he lived in. He masterfully employed different genres, including reportage, biography,...

Literature Since the Civil War

During the Civil War, an ideological propaganda literature dominated, in which literary quality was not the priority. Since the Civil War, literary evolution has been linked to a series of political and social transformations.

Key stages:

• Postwar Literature (1940s): Two orientations emerged: 1) Exaltation of the dominant ideas, and 2) Anxious reflection.
• Social Literature (1950s): Acceptance by international institutions and Spain's favored position fostered a certain ideological opening.
• Formal Renewal (1960s): Economic development brought about a change in customs and allowed the entry of foreign literary influences.
• Latest Trends (Since 1975): Authors began to speak freely, and different orientations emerged.

Miguel

Satirical Poetry: Quevedo's Unmatched Wit

Francisco de Quevedo has no equal in our satirical poetry. His wit and acuity are inexhaustible, as is his ability to criticize, ridicule, and use grotesque deformation to treat subjects ranging from the serious and important to the least significant.

Themes and Subjects in His Verse

He alludes in his poems to:

• Characters of Baroque society: doctors, women, and deceived husbands.
• Writers and literary issues: especially Culteranismo.
• Góngora and myths: such as Apollo and Daphne.
• Historical characters: like Pilate and Nero.
• Literary heroes: such as El Cid.

Famous Satirical Verses

Some of these poems are especially well-known, for example, the sonnet "A una nariz" ("Érase un hombre a una nariz pegado") or Quevedo'...

Grace Nichols and the Immigrant Experience

The poem entitled "Wherever I Hang" was written by Grace Nichols, who was born in Georgetown, Guyana. She lived in a small village on the country's coast until her family moved to the city when she was eight years old. She worked as a teacher, a journalist, and in government information services before she immigrated to the UK in 1977. Much of her poetry is characterized by Caribbean rhythms and culture, influenced by Guyanese and Amerindian folklore. The poem "Wherever I Hang" is about an immigrant's encounter with England and the difficulties of moving from one culture to another; it is based on her personal experience.

Structure and Symbolism in the Poem

The poem's structure is defined by its different...

Popular Lyric Poetry

Characteristics

• Oral transmission
• Use of verse
• Theocentricism: The doctrine that God and religious life should be the center of all human concerns.
• Anonymous authors
• Didactic and moralizing purpose

Jarchas

These short poems have irregular syllabic measure and abundant parallelism. The protagonist is typically a young woman lamenting the absence or infidelity of her lover.

Mio Cid

Song of Exile

King Alfonso VI banishes Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar, El Cid, who leaves with his friends and vassals. The Cid and his followers fight the Moors, winning the battle of Alcocer. The first song ends with the Count's release, ashamed of his defeat.

Wedding Song

El Cid conquers Valencia after a two-year siege. A new victory against the Emir of Morocco...

Vanguard Poetry and the Generation of '27

The vanguard movements that influenced the Generation of '27 were Creationism, Ultraism, and the profound influence of Surrealism. Key figures like Gerardo Diego utilized these styles in works such as Imagen and Manual de espumas. Surrealism's greatest influence lay in the use of illogical images, as seen in the works of Luis Cernuda and Vicente Aleixandre.

Luis Cernuda: Desire and Reality

Luis Cernuda (1902-1963) was born in Seville, moved to Madrid, and devoted himself to being a professor of Spanish literature before dying in exile in Mexico. His poetic production is collected in The Reality and the Desire (La realidad y el deseo), which includes his late work Desolation of the Chimera (1962). In Forbidden