Catalan Literature: A Journey Through Time and Styles
Verdaguer (1845-1902)
is the great lyric poet of the nineteenth century Catalan. Born in Folgueroles the Osona region. For ten years he studied the classics and began to make poetry.
In 1865 he was awarded the Floral Games. Was ordained priest, he enlisted as a chaplain on a ship. After two years of traveling left the ship and entered the service of the Marquis de Comillas. At around 40 years suffered a religious crisis. The Marquis broke with him. He died in 1902 of tuberculosis. His funeral was crowded, as a poet who was much loved by the people.
Writer romàtic fully understands poetry as the expression of feelings and emotions. The fatherland, faith and nature are the major themes of artistic creation of the poet. What differentiates it from other authors and intuition that has great knowledge of language. Has two areas – knowledge of popular literature as well from a poor family and the assimilation of classical culture as much studied. It uses many adjectives and hype to give him more strength and the space is very important because it is a symbolic element.
His work encompasses several genres:
epic (two poems: Canigou il’Atlàntida)
Lyric:
(works of religious subject)
Prose:
(wrote travel books, attempting to fend off accusations that it was objective and stories folk.
Josep Carner (Bcn1884 les1970-Brussels):
Writer Noucentisme highlight outstanding poems and writings of literary criticism with which to spread the aesthetic ideas of twentieth century. He was editor of “Voice of Catalonia” and directed several magazines. He collaborated with Pompeu Fabra in its purifying work. In verse in 1919 showed a trade unionist and socialist thought in some articles. During the Civil War will remain faithful to the Republic and lived in Brussels. Works: The Book of poets “appears to influence modernist irony, he also wrote” The first book of sonnets “and” Second book of sonnets, “” delicious fruits, “the nuns” … And other poets such as James Mates Bofill, Josep Maria López-Picó.
Mercedes Rodoreda is considered the best storyteller in contemporary Catalan. Born in Barcelona, where he lived until 1939, in exile in France and Switzerland. Throughout his life he worked in magazines and newspapers, and wrote several novels, the most important are: Broken Mirror, The Plaza of the Diamond, Aloma …
The characteristics of his works are: an explanation of the inner world of characters and their perspective towards the reality that surrounds them, the protagonists of the novels are always women, who talk about their relationships and the passage of time and symbolic elements are (jewelry, mirrors, pigeons ..).
Joaquim Amat-Piniella was born in Manresa, worked the realist novel, in addition to the short story and poetry. During the Second Republic, he worked in newspapers and magazines, and participated in political activities. In the war fought against the Andalusian was then exiled French fields, and finally ended at Mauthausen, the Nazi extermination camp. The result of this experience is novel KL Reich, who wrote in 1945 in Andorra. Explains the vicissitudes of a deported Catalan and Spanish in this field and is especially poignant testimony of the horror and the ability to destroy human beings, maintaining the dignity and boundary conditions in the hope of defeated fascist barbarism.
Modernism:
he prevailed in Europe since the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century In Catalonia the young modernists claim culture nationally, it was beyond regionalism, all reacting against the Renaissance. He had two trends:
The regenerationism: it was a movement that sought to regenerate society, becoming socially and politically. Jaume Brossa was in the most representative.
Aestheticism:
to transform society in the role of art. Rusiñol was an outstanding representative.
Catalan Modernism was divided into two stages:
A) 1892-1900,
The Modernist explain his ideas in four journals: Advances, Catalonia, Four Jacks and hair and feathers. It is a combative stage.
B) 1900 – 1911:
Modernism was assimilated by the Catalan bourgeoisie was a very ideological and literary stage.
* Catalan Modernist Novel:
It began with the work of The Sub wild
Raimon Casellas (1901) and ended with life and death of George Fraginals of adaptations (1912).
Among these novel · les find that the protagonist is a character alone against society.
* The Catalan modernist theater
It was marked by the influence of Maeterlink antirealista representing a trend that was very important in poetry and tried to reflect the mood. The other author was making a theater of Ibsen’s complaint, in which the individual faces in society.
The school Mallorcan:
For Noucentistes ended up being a model of subtle language and locale. Michael Costa and Joan Alcover were the main representatives.
It was characterized by the classical assumption of the folk tradition.
Tomas Garces (1901-1993) was also a lawyer, poet, translator and literary critic. From 1919 he worked in numerous newspapers and magazines, and during the dictatorship continue to participate in cultural activities. His poetic work, very extensive, based on the symbolism, and pure poetry, but still flow more intellectual, like Riba, but also draws on popular sources.
With great attention to formal aspects and deep lyricism, like classical themes:
nature, melancholy, longing, the transience of life … The first collection, from which he became known, isTwenty songs.
Carles Riba (1893-1959) is a central figure in the intellectual landscape, literary and political in Catalonia in the twentieth century. Professor, poet, translator, critic, prose writer … He excelled in all fields. True to the Republic, was forced into exile after the war but returned in 1943. Already in Catalonia, he remained faithful to its principles and national politicians, although the conditions were very adverse, Riba an important role in intellectual and artistic culture of the tight time, and became master of all reference the later generation of writers. As a poet, he followed the current post-symbolist, which evolved into pure poetry. His work shows a formal perfection.
His most important collections are: First book Stays, Stays Second books, and Elegies Bierville Savage Heart.
Calders was born in Barcelona and graduated in Fine Arts. He stressed soon as a writer. He worked in newspapers and magazines, but fled to Mexico and returned after 1960. He is known for his stories and short stories. Used a different theme and simple language.