The Roman Empire and Its Aftermath
Unit 12: The Roman Empire: Power and Production
The Appropriation of Nature and Transformations of Space
In the second century, the Roman Empire reached its greatest expansion. Rome controlled a large part of European territory and exercised its power through the construction of infrastructure works of great magnitude:
- Bridges, road networks, river ports, and maritime routes facilitated trade and travel.
- Sewers, culverts, and aqueducts improved the lives of its inhabitants.
- Military enclaves and walls
The New Latin American Novel: A Literary Boom
1. The Rise of New Narrative Forms (1940s-1950s)
The 1940s and 1950s witnessed a period of experimentation with new storytelling forms in Latin American literature. This shift coincided with significant social transformations across the continent, including rapid urbanization and a move away from the post-colonial rural landscapes of the 19th century.
Several literary trends emerged during this time:
- Metaphysical narratives by authors like Jorge Luis Borges and José Lezama Lima.
- Existentialist narratives
Hispanic American Literature: A 20th-Century Overview
The Novel
Early Influences (Until 1945)
The Hispanic American novel experienced a boom in the mid-20th century, influenced by foreign literature. Early novels, marked by realism, naturalism, and modernism, explored social conflicts, exploitation, colonization, revolution, and the struggle against nature. Key themes included the exploited Indigenous population, tyrannical landowners, and powerful women. Notable works include Mariano Azuela’s The Underdogs, Martín Luis Guzmán’s Memories of Pancho
Read MoreModernist Spanish Poets: Jiménez, Machado, and Darío
Juan Ramón Jiménez (1881–1958)
Born in Moguer (Huelva), Juan Ramón Jiménez, the self-proclaimed Andaluz Universal, signed some of his works with this title. He studied at El Puerto de Santa Maria and began painting and writing poetry from a young age. He showed signs of poor health, which was aggravated by the death of his father. In 1900, he went to Madrid to champion Modernism, thus becoming considered one of its pioneers in Spain. Gradually, he became a mentor to other poets, who admired
Read MoreSpanish Baroque Theater: Lope de Vega, Tirso and Calderon
The New Comedy by Lope de Vega
Plays
The plays do not respect the time and place of the three unities of action.
- The work is divided into three acts or a day (exposition of the case, a complication of the facts, and outcome).
- The comic and tragedy can be mixed in a play.
- All works are written in verse.
- Polymetry is used using various stanzas and meters (quatrains, stanzas, ballads…).
- It seeks to adjust the language to the status of each of the characters (poetic decorum).
- May include dances and songs.
A Comprehensive Guide to Literature: Genres, Styles, and History
Definition of Literature
Literature encompasses several dimensions:
- Individual aesthetic creation
- Communication of values and feelings
- Reflection of a particular worldview
The term “literature” originates from Latin.
Characteristics of Literature
- Style: Seeks to transcend the everyday with a more cultured, refined, or experimental form of expression.
- Authorial Intent: Driven by aesthetic purpose.
- Reader Impact: The author aims to affect the reader, listener, or viewer.
- Boundless Plausibility: Literary texts