Bécquer and Late Spanish Romanticism: Themes and Style
Late Spanish Romanticism: An Overview
In its early years, Spanish Romanticism suffered from superficiality and excessive rhetoric. Authors exaggerated and unassimilated foreign artistic lessons. Later poets corrected this by refining and internalizing the poetic language of Romanticism, avoiding its excesses. They shared the intellectual and artistic values of Romanticism but placed special emphasis on the use of symbols, often inspired by elements of nature. Literary language became seemingly simpler, more intense, and full of meaning, exploring themes of love, disappointment, and death.
Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer: A Key Figure
Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer’s literary work was extensive. He wrote mystery stories in prose, such as Legends, inspired by medieval settings. His narratives often present an enigma that points to the dark and disturbing side of existence. He was distinguished by subtle expressive nuances and intense evocative descriptions. In his verse, he wrote Rimas, his most enduring work, which was very influential on later poetic language. These are short poems, a poetic language of symbols based on themes of failed love, loneliness, death, and revealing the mission of poetry.
Rimas: Lyrical Romanticism
Bécquer’s Rimas are divided into four parts:
- The theme of poetry as something mysterious and inexplicable.
- The theme of love that reaches hopeful moments of happiness.
- The theme of failure, disappointment, and despair of lost love.
- The theme of fear of loneliness, pain, and the anguish of death.
The expression ends nearest to that sense.
Late Spanish Romanticism: An Overview
In its early years, Spanish Romanticism suffered from superficiality and excessive rhetoric. Spanish authors imitated foreigners, exaggerating and unassimilating artistic lessons. Later poets corrected the situation by refining and internalizing the poetic language of Romanticism, avoiding its excesses. They shared intellectual and artistic Romantic values but placed special emphasis on the use of the symbol, generally inspired by elements of nature. The literary language becomes seemingly simpler, more intense, and full of meaning, exploring themes of love, disappointment, and death.
Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer: A Key Figure
Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer’s literary work was extensive. He wrote mystery stories in prose, such as Legends, inspired by medieval settings. His narratives often present an enigma that points to the dark and disturbing side of existence. He was distinguished by delicate nuances of expression and by intense evocative descriptions. In his verse, he wrote Rimas, his most enduring work, which was very influential on later poetic language. These are short poems, a poetic language of symbols based on themes of failed love, loneliness, death, and revealing the mission of poetry.
Rimas: Lyrical Romanticism
Bécquer’s Rimas are divided into four parts:
- The theme of poetry as something mysterious and inexplicable.
- The theme of love that reaches hopeful moments of happiness.
- The theme of failure, disillusionment, and despair due to lost love.
- The theme of fear of loneliness, pain, and the anguish of death.
The expression ends nearest to that sense.