El Cid: Origins, Structure, and Themes of the Epic Poem
Origin of Spanish Epic Poems
The origin of the epics has been linked to various sources: carmina maiorum (heroic songs of the Visigoths on the Germanic ancestors), the French epic, epic Arab-Andalusian, and popular folklore. The Spanish epics are part of the literary tradition of mastersingers or the art of the troubadours, so they are anonymous. We know of many ballads and songs thanks to the prosifications of medieval chroniclers.
Cycles of Songs
The epic poems related to the history of Castile are
Read MoreAnalysis of Gray’s Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard
Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard
VOICE: St.1-9 1st voice st10- 2nd voice st11-23 1st voice st.24- 2nd voice st.25 3rd voice (”off—-St.29) st.30-32 -1st voice
MOOD: Melancholic. In the end: acceptance.
SUMMARY: Meditation upon the tombs of humble people, which leads the poet to meditate about his own death and ”the memory” he will leave once he dies. In this meditation, the poet opposes fortune and fame to knowledge and feeling, in favour of this last ones.
STANZAS:
Stanza 15. John Hampden,
Read MoreThe Dominate: Late Roman Empire (235-565 AD)
The Dominate (235 AD – 565 AD) was the despotic last phase of government in the ancient Roman Empire. It spanned from the establishment of the Empire in 27 BC to the formal collapse of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD.
Crisis and Military Anarchy
In the year 235 AD, the last emperor of the Severan dynasty, which had maintained order, relative peace, and the outline of the Roman Empire, died. His death initiated a period characterized by military anarchy.
In the third century AD, Roman-dominated villages
Read MoreMesoamerican and Andean Civilizations: A Comparative Study
Mother Cultures in Mesoamerica
Contributed to the cultural development of Mayan and Aztec civilizations
Teotihuacan
They bet on urban planning and construction of large ceremonial centers.
Zapotec
They designed a solar calendar and a writing system based on figures – the city was better known as Monte Alban.
Toltecs
Contributed gods and sacrificial rites, and the ball game.
Olmec
They developed a calendar and an accounting system. Their heads were famous giant sculptures.
Cultures in the Andean Mother Region
These
Read MoreAncient Greek Theater: Tragedy, Comedy, and Key Playwrights
Ancient Greek Theater: An Overview
Ancient Greek theater comprised three main genres: tragedy, comedy, and satyr drama. These plays explored profound themes such as destiny, liberty, love, and death.
Tragedy
Tragedies delved into the significant problems of human existence, often focusing on the struggles of heroes and the consequences of their choices.
Comedy
Comedies, on the other hand, concerned themselves with everyday life and often presented problematic situations in a lighthearted manner. The
Read MoreSpanish Poetry: Post-Civil War Trends and Generations
Poetry is a literary genre that offers great variety. It links with the trends produced in previous years and offsets the negative impact of the exile of many of the big names (Juan Ramón Salinas, Cernuda, Alberti), with the teaching of other poets from ’27 (G. Diego, D. Alonso, Aleixandre).
In the years before 1936, poets agreed to turn their eyes to the feeling of intimacy and commitment, abandoning avant-garde forms and pure poetry. The lyric poets of the post-war period looked to serene and
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