Humanity’s Origins and the Rise of Mesoamerican Civilizations
Humanity’s Origins and the Rise of Mesoamerican Civilizations
The man makes history.
- 4,500,000,000 years ago: The solar system is generated.
- 3,500,000 years ago: The first forms of life (unicellular) appear, which mix or cover the Earth with water and oxygen, cooling the outside of the land, but not the interior.
- 2,000,000 years ago: Mammals appear.
- 5,000,000 years ago: Hominization, a process in which an animal evolves.
- 4,000,000 years ago: Ardipithecus ramidus, a humanoid fossil, is found in Africa
Beowulf: Epic Battles with Grendel, His Mother, and Dragon
First Battle: Grendel
Beowulf begins with the story of King Hrothgar, who constructed the great hall Heorot for his people. In it, he, his wife Wealhtheow, and his warriors spend their time singing and celebrating until Grendel, a troll-like monster pained by the noise, attacks the hall, killing and devouring many of Hrothgar’s warriors while they sleep. Grendel does not touch the throne, for it is described as being protected by the power of God. Hrothgar and his people, helpless against Grendel’
Read MoreModernist and Generation of ’27 Poetry: Key Authors and Works
Modernist Poetry
Modernism was an artistic movement against the utilitarian spirit and the aesthetic of the epoch. It stood for beauty and evasion of real life. Key authors include Rubén Darío, Manuel Machado, and Juan Ramón Jiménez. Modernism was influenced by two French movements:
- Parnassianism, which represented a worship of art for art’s sake, suggesting ideas and sentiments through formal perfection.
- Symbolism, which supported the effects of musical language.
Antonio Machado
Born in Seville,
Read MoreSpanish Literature: Modernism to Post-Civil War Era
Modernism
Symbolist and Parnassian influences from the past, free verse, and Alexandrine. Lyric Poetry.
Rubén Darío, a Romantic poet, renews the metric. Autumnal Rhymes. Azul… Modernist literary tradition begins. Musicality and rhythm. Profane Prose. Thoughtful and sincere. Song of Wandering Life and Hope to Argentina.
Manuel Machado, more intimate, skeptical, and disappointed. Folkloric and aristocratic. Alma, El Mal Poema, Cante Hondo.
Ramón del Valle-Inclán in Galicia, esoteric mystery. Legend
Read MoreHumanism, Petrarch, and Lyric Poetry in 15th Century Europe
Humanism and its Influence
Humanism: a cultural, intellectual, and political movement that attaches great importance to ancient Greco-Roman texts. It is essential to the study of humanities, with extreme interest in culture and classical languages. This movement was widespread in Europe during the 15th century and was crucial in the Renaissance aesthetic. The interest in the human becomes a key factor. Key humanists include Dante Alighieri and Francesco Petrarch.
Petrarch and Petrarchist Lyric
Petrarch
Read MoreThematic Analysis of Isabel Allende’s ‘The House of the Spirits’
Thematic and Formal Features in ‘The House of the Spirits’
The House of the Spirits is a generational story of the Trueba family, which the author considers a typical middle-class American family. Through this family, Allende seeks to portray the social classes, cities, and customs of Latin American life.
The plot centers on four generations of women who influence one man, Esteban Trueba, spanning from the early 20th century to the 1970s. The novel depicts a rigid patriarchal society built on traditional
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