READING LIST IN HISPANIC STUDIES
(MAFLL)

Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures
103 Jastak-Burgess Hall - University of Delaware
Newark,  DE 19716
(302) 831-6882

The Master of Arts in Hispanic Studies (MAFLL) degree in the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures at the University of Delaware is designed for students who seek professional growth in the areas of language proficiency, the in-depth understanding of literature, civilization and culture; and research skills. Courses cover a wide range of topics and exemplify different critical approaches. The aims of this degree program are both practical and theoretical; a student who earns the graduate degree should be competent in both areas.

The examination for the M.A. degree in Foreign Languages and Literatures is designed to test the student's mastery of the works of Hispanic literature on the M.A. Reading list. It emphasizes not only the content (plot, setting, characters, etc.) of each work but also its implicit values and its aesthetic and philosophical underpinnings. An understanding of the contribution of each work to its own period is expected. Students should have a grasp both of the major Spanish literary movements and of the cultural and historical context in which they arose. The exam is administered in November/December and in April/May of each academic year and has two parts: written and oral. Both the written and the oral portions of the exam are conducted entirely in Spanish.

The Written Examination

MAFLL students will choose six of seven literary periods/areas to prepare for the exam. Students must have taken at least one course in the period/area not selected. The written examination will focus on the Reading Lists for the six periods/areas chosen. It will consist of:

1. Six short essays/ identifications, one for each period/area (60-75 minutes).
2. Longer, focused essay in the period/area of the student's choice (60-90 minutes).
3. Textual Analysis: an organized analytical description of a text selected from a period other than the one the student has chosen for the focused essay. (60-75 minutes)

(Four hours will be allotted for the examination; the time limit will be strictly observed)

In cases where the written exam is a clear failure that cannot be redeemed by a strong oral exam, students will be informed that they may not take the oral. Students who fail all or part of the MA comprehensive exams may retake the exam (or part thereof) only once. After the written examination, students may contact Spanish Faculty members for general feedback during the time period that precedes the oral examination.

The Oral Examination

The oral exam of MAFLL students will focus on the Reading Lists for three out of six periods/areas chosen (randomly selected by the examination committee), course work, and any questions arising from the written examination. 30 minutes will be allotted for this portion of the exam.

(The reading list may be revised and updated by the Graduate faculty in the corresponding areas of specialization every two years.)

(MAFLL students choose 10 more books and add them to the list for the M.A. exam.)

I. Medieval.

1. Cantar de mío Cid.

2. Anón.Juan Manuel, El conde Lucanor.

3. Arcipreste de Hita, Libro de buen amor.

4. Diego de San Pedro, La cárcel de amor.

5. Fernando de Rojas, La Celestina.

6. Poesía medieval, (Cancionero, Romancero, etc.):

Jorge Manrique, "Coplas a la muerte de su padre."

Romance de doña Alda, "En Paris está doña Alda"

Romance de Abenámar, "¡Abenámar, Abenámar,"

Romance del infante Arnaldos, "¡Quién hubiera tal ventura"

Romance de la jura de Santa Gadea, "En Santa Gadea de Burgos"

Romance del prisionero, "Que por mayo era, por mayo"

Romance de Fonte-frida, "Fonte-frida, Fonte-frida"

1. La vida de Lazarillo de Tormes y de sus fortunas y adversidades.

2. Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, El ingenioso hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha.

3. Lope de Vega, El caballero de Olmedo.

4. Tirso de Molina, El burlador de Sevilla.

5. Pedro Calderón de la Barca, La vida es sueño.

6. Following Selections from Renaissance and Baroque Poetry of Spain. Intro. and ed. Elias L. Rivers. Prospect Heights, Ill., Waveland Press, 1966:

Garcilaso de la Vega, Sonetos I, X, XI, XIV, & XXIII;  Canción V;  Égloga III

Fray Luis de León, Odas I, III, VII, VIII, & X

San Juan de la Cruz, Canciones I ("Cántico espiritual"), & II ("La noche oscura")

Luis de Góngora, Sonetos LIV, LXXXII, & CLXVI;  Fábula de Polifemo y Galatea

Francisco de Quevedo, Sonetos 2, 3, 11, 29, 336, 464, & 471; Letrilla 669

1. Manuel José Quintana, Pelayo.

2. José Zorrilla, Don Juan Tenorio

3. Ángel Saavedra, (el Duque de Rivas), Don Álvaro o la fuerza del sino.

4. Gustavo Adolfo Béquer, Rimas, Leyendas.

5. Benito Pérez Galdós, Doña Perfecta.

6. Selección de poesía:

Nicasio Álvarez de Cienfuegos, "El otoño"

Manuel de Cabanyes, "La independencia de la poesía"

Rosalía de Castro, "Un recuerdo."

José de Espronceda,"Canto a Teresa," "Canción del pirata"

Nicolás Fernández de Moratín, "Fiesta de Toros en Madrid"

Ángela Grassi, "Sin esperanza."

Juan Meléndez Valdés, "Del caer de las hojas," "A Jovino el melancólico"

Josefa Massanés Dalmau, "Amor"

Ángel de Saavedra, (el Duque de Rivas). "El castellano leal."

1. Miguel de Unamuno, San Manuel bueno, mártir

2. Camilo José Cela, La familia de Pascual Duarte

3. Luis Martín-Santos, Tiempo de silencio

4. Carmen Laforet, Nada

5. Carmen Martín Gaite, El cuarto de atrás

6. Federico García Lorca, La casa de Bernarda Alba

7. Selección de poesía:

Antonio Machado "A orillas del Duero," "Campos de Soria" y "Yo voy soñando caminos"

Juan Ramón Jiménez "El viaje definitivo"y "Romance de Coral Gables"

Federico García Lorca (del Romancero gitano) "Romance de la luna, luna", "Romance sonámbulo" y "Romance de la pena negra"

1. Bernardino de Sahagún, Historia general de las cosas de la Nueva España.

2. Bernal Diaz del Castillo, Historia verdadera de la Conquista de la Nueva Espana.

3. Álvar Nuñez Cabeza de Vaca, Naufragios.

4. Hernán Cortés, Cartas

5. Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, Comentarios reales.

6. Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, La respuesta, "Hombres necios..." (redondillas), "Detente  sombra de mi bien esquivo..." (soneto) "Este que ves engaño colorido" (soneto),  " Rosa divina..." (soneto)

VI. 19th- Century Spanish American.

1. José Joaquín Fernández de Lizardi, El periquillo Sarniento.

2. Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda, Sab.

3. José Hernández, Martín Fierro (1 & 2).

4. Rodó, José Enrique, Ariel.

5. Selección de poesía y narrativa corta:

Esteban Echeverría, "El matadero," José Martí, "Nuestra América"; Rubén Darío, (Azul) "El rey burgués", "El sátiro sordo," "La ninfa","El velo de la reina Mab", "Sonetos", "Pensamiento de otoño", "A un poeta", "Era un aire suave", "Divagación"; (Prosas Profanas) "Era un aire suave", "Divagación", "Sonatina"; "El cisne", "Sinfonía en gris mayor"; (Cantos de Vida y Esperanza, "Yo soy aquel").

1. Gabriel García Márquez, Cien años de soledad.

2. Carlos Fuentes, La muerte de Artemio Cruz.

3. Juan Rulfo, Pedro Páramo.

4. María Luisa Bombal, La amortajada.

5. Rómulo Gallegos, Doña Bárbara.

6. Miguel Ángel Asturias El señor Presidente.

7. Alejo Carpentier, Los pasos perdidos.

8. Selección de poesía y narrativa corta:

Julio Cortázar, La autopista del sur y otros cuentos, "Casa tomada," "Continuidad de los parques," "Axolotl," "Cartas de mamá," "Las babas del diablo," "El otro cielo," "Apocalipsis de Soletiname," "Recortes de prensa".

Jorge Luis Borges, Ficciones, "Tlön, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius," "Pierre Menard, autor del Quijote," "Las ruinas circulares," "La lotería en Babilonia," "La Biblioteca de Babel," "El jardin de senderos que se bifurcan," "Funes el memorioso," "El Sur"

Octavio Paz, El laberinto de la soledad, "Máscaras mexicanas," "Los hijos de la Malinche."

Pablo Neruda, "Alturas de Macchu Picchu," Walking Around,¨ " Cien sonetos de amor," V, XVI, XCII.

Cesar Vallejo, "Piedra negra sobre piedra blanca," "Los heraldos negros," "Un hombre pasa con un pan al hombro."

Ernesto Cardenal, "Oración a Marylin Monroe," "Como latas vacías de cerveza." "Salmo 5."

Alfonsina Storni, "Carta lírica a otra mujer," "Yo en el fondo del mar," "Voy a dormir."