20th Century Spanish Poetry: From Modernism to Today
The Lyrical in the Late 19th and Early 20th Centuries
The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw a universal crisis marked by bourgeois life disenchantment, existentialist irrationalism, mysticism, and hedonism. The First World War (1914) further intensified this crisis. However, a fever for living, consumerism, modernization, and trade unionism also emerged during this period known as the Novecento.
During this time, a group of poets emerged who occupied an intermediate position between Modernism and the Avant-Garde. Also known as the Generation of 1914 or the Generation of ’14, they tended towards pure poetry, following the guidelines of poets like Juan Ramón Jiménez and José Ortega y Gasset. Their work was characterized by sentimentality, passion, and vehemence.
Some key characteristics of this group include:
- Desire for balance
- Intellectualism
- Dehumanization of art
- Concern for language
- Search for the perfect, finished work
Notable poets of this generation include Ramón de Basterra, Mauricio Bacarisse, Juan José Domenchina, Fernando Villalón, José Moreno Villa, and León Felipe.
Among these poets, Antonio Machado stands out. He enjoyed the respect of the Generation of 1927, and even postwar poets looked up to him as the highest example of poetry and humanity. Machado was admired for his deep engagement with human problems and his identification with a land and its people. He served as a guide to younger poets, particularly those associated with pure poetry and the Generation of 1927. Later in his career, Machado focused on renewing language, becoming a poet of special sensitivity, an aesthetic model, and a symbol of poetic renewal. He represents the trajectory of Spanish poetry in the 20th century and anticipates many of the techniques used by later poets.
The Avant-Garde
The Avant-Garde was an art movement that arose in the early 20th century with the aim of overcoming conventional forms of expression.
- Futurism: Celebrated mechanical and technical civilization (e.g., “Poem to a Lightbulb”).
- Dada: Embraced the absurd and the incoherent.
- Surrealism: Aimed to explore the unconscious through automatic writing, dream narratives, and the exploration of human passions, the self, and emotions. It was influenced by Sigmund Freud.
- Expressionism: Rejected art as a representation of external reality and sought to reflect the inner state of the individual or artist.
- Ramonismo: Founded by the Spanish writer Ramón Gómez de la Serna, it offered surprising and unexpected associations based on everyday elements. This metaphorical approach connected with humor.
- Creacionismo: Founded by Vicente Huidobro, it aimed to make art a game using non-poetic elements and new graphical layouts (such as the calligram).
From 1940 to 1970: Socio-Political, Economic, and Cultural Context
This period was marked by the Spanish Civil War, the Franco dictatorship, hunger, repression, censorship, and exile. Existentialism, Nietzsche, Freud, and biblical mysticism influenced the literature of this time.
Poetry of Exile (1940s and 1950s)
Influenced by American poets like Walt Whitman and characterized by a prophetic tone, the poetry of exile was also shaped by existentialist and social tendencies. Common themes included Spain, loneliness, injustice, and melancholy. Notable poets include Emilio Prados, Manuel Altolaguirre, León Felipe (“Spanish Exodus” and “Crying”), and Rafael Alberti (neopopulist or traditional poetry).
Neopopulist or Traditional Poetry (1940s and 1950s)
This type of poetry focused on themes like family, God, nature, the earth, and everyday life, with an intimate tone. Prominent poets include Luis Rosales, Leopoldo Panero, and Luis Felipe Vivanco.
Post-Civil War Avant-Garde Poetry (1940s and 1950s)
- Postista Poetry: Imaginative, surprising, playful, and irrational, found in writers like Gloria Fuertes and José Antonio Labordeta.
- Grupo Cántico: Baroque poetry with a strong cultural and vital presence in poets like Pablo García Baena and Gabriel Celaya.
Existential Poetry (1940s and 1950s)
Notable authors include Dámaso Alonso, Gabriel Celaya, Blas de Otero (“Spiritual Canticle”), José Hierro, and Carlos Bousoño.
Social Poetry (1940s and 1950s)
Related to Marxist humanism, this poetry addressed the tragedy of modern man and social injustice. Key figures include José Hierro (“Fifth of ’42”, “Whatever is in my Date Book”), Blas de Otero (“I Pray for Peace and the Word”), and Gabriel Celaya (“Iberian Songs”).
Poetry of Knowledge (1960s)
Beginning in the 1950s, this movement reflected on themes like experience, the everyday, the passage of time, the nature of poetry, love, and disappointment. Leading writers include José Ángel Valente (“By Way of Hope”), Ángel González (“Harsh World”), Jaime Gil de Biedma (“Moral”), Carlos Barral, José Agustín Goytisolo, Claudio Rodríguez, and the Barcelona and Madrid Groups.
From the 1970s to Today
In the 1970s, the “Novísimos” group emerged, presenting themes of urban culture, exoticism, and beauty. They engaged in literary reflection and culturalism (referencing authors and works). Notable poets include Manuel Vázquez Montalbán (“A Sentimental Education”), Ana María Moix (“Call Me Stone”), Vicente Molina Foix (“Realist Spies”), and Pere Gimferrer (“Arde el mar”).
Since 1975
Several trends can be identified:
- Neo-Surrealism: Represented by poets like Blanca Andreu.
- Conceptualism: Found in the work of Antonio Gamoneda.
- Epic Poetry: Seen in the works of Andrés Sánchez Robayna and Julio Llamazares.
- Sensualist Poetry: Exemplified by Ana Rossetti.
- Poetry of Experience: Uses themes of urban life, everyday experiences, love, intimacy, religion, and family. Notable poets include Luis García Montero (“Separate Rooms”), Jon Juaristi (“Diary of a Newly Married Poet”), Miguel d’Ors (“The Sky is Blue”), and Joaquín Sabina.