19th Century Spanish Literature: Romanticism & Realism
Society and Culture
Spanish society in the 19th century was deeply marked by the legacy of the French Revolution (1789) and the Industrial Revolution. These two events shaped both the social and political landscape. The first half of the century, dominated by Romanticism, saw clashes between absolutism and liberalism, with the bourgeoisie gaining economic and political power, particularly during the expansionist era of Napoleon. The second half, characterized by Realism and Naturalism, witnessed growing industrialization.
Romanticism
Aesthetics
- Individualism: Romantic rebels against anything that opposes their personal ego, rejecting a limited world that produces feelings of frustration and escapism.
- Defense of Freedom: Based on Romantic thought in social, political, or artistic spheres.
- Nature: Nature is seen as a reflection of the Romantic’s emotional state.
- Nationalism: Romantics valued the unique characteristics of their country.
Espronceda
Espronceda’s exalted and passionate poetry is a hymn to freedom, written in a vibrant and theatrical style. His work includes poetry, historical novels, and plays. His early poems, like ‘Pelayo,’ show his juvenile formation and deal with the Spanish Reconquista. During his exile, he encountered English Romanticism, which influenced his later poems. Upon returning to Madrid, he developed a personal style, composing poems that exalted social outcasts (the beggar, the executioner, etc.). He also lamented lost youth and expressed political and social ideals. His most important works are ‘El estudiante de Salamanca’ and ‘El diablo mundo.’
Style: Espronceda’s style is generally grand and emphatic, with frequent use of violent imagery and contrasts. Metric changes give his poetry great evocative power and musicality.
Late Romanticism
Intimate and lyrical, Late Romanticism represents the culmination of the movement. It is characterized by introspective, simple lyrics.
Becquer
Becquer’s poetry opened doors to intimacy, purity, sensitivity, and authenticity, moving away from the grandiloquent style of early Romanticism. He was inspired by German Romantic lyricism and Andalusian folk songs.
Work: Becquer is best known for his lyrical poetry (Rimas). He also wrote quality prose (Leyendas). His Leyendas are short stories set in fantastic environments that express feelings and intimate emotions through prose and lyricism (e.g., ‘El monte de las ánimas’).
Rimas: Becquer’s Rimas are intense and emotional poems characterized by formal perfection achieved through poetic simplicity. His work, published posthumously by his friends, is brief. The first edition contained 76 poems, with more discovered later. The poems use varied stanzas and assonant rhyme. The tone is intimate and emotional, with evocative poetry born from feeling (part immediate experience, part memory, mixed with fantasy). His style is characterized by essential, bare, and condensed lyricism, natural, short, and poignant, springing from the soul.
Romantic Prose
- Historical Novel: Set in the Middle Ages, Spain saw many historical novels (not all of high quality). The most important is ‘El señor de Bembibre.’
- Leyendas: Becquer’s Leyendas are the highest achievement of Romantic poetic prose.
- Costumbrismo: This genre consists of articles published in periodicals and magazines that described everyday reality in a humorous tone. Larra is the most important author in this genre.
Larra
Larra occupies an important place in Spanish literature thanks to his journal articles, written in a direct and engaging style tailored to the needs of journalism.
Work: In addition to his articles, Larra also wrote historical novels and Romantic dramas, such as ‘Macías,’ a tragic love story about a troubadour. His articles are classified as articles of customs, political articles, and literary articles.
Style: Larra’s style is appropriate for journalism, direct and natural, very effective in reaching his audience. His articles are still relevant today, and he is considered a pioneer of contemporary Spanish prose.
Romantic Theater
Romantic theater was dominated by melodrama, with the goal of moving the audience. It featured freedom from prevailing classical standards and focused on themes of love and freedom, often with tragic endings.
Realism
Realism aimed to reflect social reality accurately through observation, with a particular interest in the external world. The bourgeoisie became the subject of choice, and the novel the dominant genre.
Naturalism
Naturalism, an intense form of Realism, incorporated a deterministic view of the world. It applied the methods of experimental science and determinism, often depicting sordid environments.
- Lyric Poetry: Ramón de Campoamor, a representative poet of Naturalism, is characterized by his anti-romanticism.
- Theater: López de Ayala and Manuel Tamayo y Baus cultivated high-society comedy that reflected the era.
- Narrative: The generation of novelists of 1868 experimented with new narrative forms to replace earlier models. The most successful was Benito Pérez Galdós. To renew the novel, writers drew on two models: the Spanish realist tradition and European Realism. Many novels reflected the ideology of their authors (Galdós, Valera…). Galdós, for example, showed liberal sympathies, while Alarcón and Pereda advocated conservative ideas. Spanish realist narrative also had a distinctly regionalist character. Naturalism arrived in Spain accompanied by strong controversy, with Emilia Pardo Bazán as its main advocate. In narrative, it is often difficult to distinguish between Realism and Naturalism.
Realist Novelists
- Juan Valera: ‘Pepita Jiménez’
- Emilia Pardo Bazán: ‘Los pazos de Ulloa’
- Benito Pérez Galdós: Galdós is a central figure in Spanish Realism. His work is characterized by its capacity to paint a picture of contemporary society.
Galdós’ Work
Galdós’ work is extensive and covers almost all narrative genres. His novels are divided into an initial stage (thesis novels and contemporary novels) and a later phase (characterized by spiritualism).
Episodios Nacionales: This series of 46 novels, grouped into five series of 10 novels each, chronicles the national events and conflicts that shaped 19th-century Spain. Unlike Romantic historical novels, the Episodios Nacionales narrate events of the recent past.
First Stage Novels:
- Thesis novels: ‘Doña Perfecta’ (1876), ‘Gloria’ (1877), ‘La familia de León Roch’ (1879), which criticized intolerance and fanaticism.
- Contemporary Spanish Novels: Galdós wrote 24 novels between 1881 and 1889 that depicted contemporary Spanish society. He abandoned his overt ideology and adopted a more impartial perspective. Examples include ‘La desheredada’ (1881) and ‘Fortunata y Jacinta’ (1887).
In the 1890s, Galdós began writing novels that explored spiritual and moral issues.
Significance of Galdós’ Work: Galdós’ novels offer a detailed description of Madrid society, encompassing various social classes. Moreover, his Episodios Nacionales provide a valuable vision of contemporary Spanish history.
Romanticism, Realism, and Naturalism in Spain
The 19th century in Spain was a period of political and social tension, with clashes between conservatives and liberals. Spanish Romanticism arrived late, had a brief development, and was superficial due to the instability of the constitutional system. Many liberals were exiled during periods of absolutism. Realism arrived in 1868 and became the dominant force in narrative. Naturalism had a relatively small impact.