Analysis of Blas de Otero’s Poetry: From Existentialism to Social Consciousness
Analysis of Blas de Otero’s Poetry
From Existentialism to Social Consciousness
1. Ángel Fieramente Humano (Fiercely Human Angel)
This poem, from the 1950s, belongs to Blas de Otero’s existential period. It reflects the impact of World War II and a growing affirmation of his poetic vocation. The poem showcases a beat of consciousness, a continuation from his previous stage, but with a sense of unity. The formal and thematic unity is reinforced by the publication of two books in a new set titled Ancia.
2. Love and Rebellion
In this poem, Blas de Otero explores the theme of carnal love, a recurring theme in his work. However, this love is portrayed tragically, ending in solitude and isolation. The title’s cry of rebellion (taken from a sonnet by Góngora) implies a note of solidarity, echoed in the dedication to the vast majority.
2.2. Existential Poetry
This book marks the beginning of Blas de Otero’s existential poetry phase (1950). His earlier work, around 1935, was religious in nature. This transitional phase reflects his spiritual crisis (1945) and leads to his final stage of social poetry. His three existential works are Ángel Fieramente Humano, Redoble de Conciencia, and Ancia.
3. Influences and Social Commitment
During the 1950s, Blas de Otero connected with poets like Gabriel Celaya and was influenced by Juan Ramón Giménez and Rafael Alberti. He integrated modernist formal experimentation with themes of human existence. He viewed poetry as a means to witness Spain’s political situation and protest social injustices, ultimately seeking to transform the world.
4. Post-War Context
The 1950s and 1960s, the post-war period under Franco’s dictatorship, were marked by censorship. Poets and writers had to navigate these restrictions. Both poetry and narrative reflected the country’s sociopolitical and economic problems. This period saw the rise of the social novel, with authors like Camilo José Cela (La Colmena) and Carmen Martín Gaite (Entre Visillos).
1. Pido la Paz y la Palabra (I Ask for Peace and the Word)
This 1955 book marks a new poetic cycle for Blas de Otero, introducing social and historical themes. It represents a shift from the personal to the collective.
2.2. A New Man
Pido la Paz y la Palabra presents a rejected new man. 1952 was pivotal for Blas de Otero; he traveled to Europe and, by 1959, aimed to address the dictatorship, loneliness, and the struggle for peace and freedom through his verse.
3. Social Poetry
This poem belongs to Blas de Otero’s social or historical period (1952-1964). He also published “El Castilian” and “Qué es España.” The first two books share not only the subject but also the first two original poems (1951) and a similar beginning. This signifies a move from personal tragedy to collective concerns. Blas de Otero incorporates the concept of the “majority” as both creator and recipient of poetry.
4. Post-War and Social Novel
The 1950s and 1960s, post-war Spain, were marked by cultural backwardness and censorship. Blas de Otero’s contemporaries included Gabriel Celaya and Jaime Gil de Biedma. The social novel addressed sociopolitical and economic issues (e.g., Cela’s La Colmena, Sánchez Ferlosio’s El Jarama, and Goytisolo’s Juegos de Manos). The 1960s saw narrative innovation with Martín Santos’s Tiempo de Silencio and the Latin American Boom, with authors like Gabriel García Márquez and his Cien Años de Soledad.