Catalan Literature: From Verdaguer’s Epic to Guimerà’s Dramatic Realism
Catalan Literature: From Verdaguer’s Epic to Guimerà’s Dramatic Realism
The Canigó
Theme: The Christianization of Catalonia and the impending destruction of monasteries.
Plot: Gentile, tasked with monitoring Muslims, falls in love with Flordeneu, a fairy of Canigou. His uncle, Gifre, kills her in a fit of rage, leading to conflict with Eloi Laferro and Abbot Oliba. Gentil’s death inspires the construction of the monastery of St. Martin Canigou. The poem concludes with a dialogue between the steeples of St. Martin and St. Miquel, lamenting the fading memory of figures like Gentil and Flordeneu. Ultimately, only the mountain Canigou remains as a lasting monument to God.
Symbolism: The poem is an epic that uses the Christian cross and the monastery to symbolize the birth of Catalonia.
Impact: The poem’s popularity led to the rebuilding of monasteries and a renewed interest in them.
Interpretation
- Christianization of Catalonia: The poem explores the process of converting Catalonia to Christianity.
- Romantic Elements: Gentile’s disobedience and enchantment by the fairy world represent the romantic ideal of rebellion and imagination. Verdaguer blends religious themes with romantic sensibilities, showcasing the tension between tradition and individual expression.
- Civil and Religious Poetry: Verdaguer’s work touches on both civil and religious themes. His civil poetry is exemplified by Ode to Barcelona, which celebrates the growth of the Catalan capital while warning against the dangers of unchecked ambition. His religious poetry includes works like Romance Lyrics and Mystical Chants, influenced by the Song of Solomon, Ramon Llull, and San Juan de la Cruz. Montserrat, a long poem with hymns, also explores the Christianization of Catalonia.
- Prose: Verdaguer’s prose includes works like Address to the Fountain of Iniquity, Travel and Adventure, Diary of a Pilgrim to the Holy Land, In Self-Defense, Fables, and Folklore.
Catalan Theater in the 19th Century
Context: Catalan theater in Barcelona, Valencia, and Palma was overshadowed by Spanish theater. While there was a live audience, a significant portion of the public engaged with plays through printed editions. The concept of the “fourth wall” emerged during this period.
Comedy Sketches: Before Frederic Soler “Pitarra”, Catalan theater primarily consisted of short, comedic pieces that caricatured and ridiculed everyday life. Notable authors include Robrenyo, Renart, Bernard, Baldoví, Alcantara Peña, and Eduardo Escalante. Pitarra transitioned these sketches into full-fledged comedies in the 1860s.
Urban Comedy of Manners (1864-1879): This period saw the rise of Catalan comedies and comic sketches on stage. Such Hardcore, So You’ll Find by Vidal and Valenciano is considered a landmark of the genre. Pitarra began parodying romantic dramas, such as Don Juan Tenorio. In 1864, Don Jaime the Conqueror challenged the historical manipulation common in romantic works. Pitarra wrote in “spoken Catalan,” leading to debates with conservatives who favored a more formal language. Verdaguer navigated this issue by using a lively, oral Catalan with minimal Spanish influence.
Consolidation of the Theater: In 1879, Joseph Yxart’s Catalan Theater laid the groundwork for realism. Victor Balaguer published New Tragedies, and Guimerà debuted Galla Placidia. By this point, Catalan theater had embraced realism. In the 1890s, Guimerà transitioned to prose, marking the beginning of modern Catalan theater.
Àngel Guimerà
Early Life and Career: Born in Santa Cruz de Tenerife in 1845 to a Canary Islander mother and a father from Vendrell, Guimerà moved to Barcelona at the age of eight. He joined the Piarists in 1859 and co-founded the magazine The Revival in 1871. His theatrical career began in 1879. He became president of the Ateneu Barcelonès in 1895 and was nominated for the Nobel Prize in 1906. He died in 1924 after a tribute in Plaça Catalunya.
Fiction and Reality: Guimerà’s works often explore the opposition between good and evil. His deep devotion to his mother influenced characters like Agatha (Daughter of the Sea) and Marta (Lowlands).
Recurring Themes: Possession, complex love triangles, and uprooted characters are recurring themes in Guimerà’s plays. Examples include In Powder, Maria Rosa, The Feast of Wheat, Daughter of the Sea, The Soul is Mine, and Sea and Sky. Love in his plays is always passionate, contrasting with his own personal life.
Guimerà’s Poetry
Early Works: Guimerà began writing poetry in 1870. He gained recognition in 1875 with Indíbil and Mandoni and won the Jocs Florals in 1877 with Gay Saber. His poetry often takes the form of narrative poems, reflecting romantic influences. Yxart noted similarities between Guimerà’s poetry and that of Victor Hugo. Guimerà’s poetry is characterized by lyricism and theatricality.
Themes and Characteristics: Guimerà’s poetry explores themes of childhood memories, youthful love, motherhood, and historical or patriotic events. The Head of Josep Moragues is a notable example. His poetry is characterized by its narrative style, vivid descriptions, and dramatic force.
Guimerà’s Theater
Romantic Tragedies: Guimerà updated the genre of romantic tragedy in verse with plays like Gala Placidia, Judith de Welp, Son of the King, and The Wild Sea and Sky. His tragedies gradually shifted to modern settings, as seen in Sea and Sky, which explores the clash between the Arab and Christian worlds in the 17th century. Maragall praised this work for its departure from the “drama of manners” and its focus on the “rawness of life.”
Realism and Modernism: The Crazy Woman, set in the mid-19th-century mining world, tackles the theme of insanity, reflecting modernist interest in marginalized figures. Guimerà analyzes individual and social tensions, connecting with modernist concerns.
Rural and Prose Works: Guimerà’s second stage begins with Waiting Room, his first prose work, and The Baldirona, both set in the rural world.
Transition to Realism: In 1892, The Dead When the Soul Is, a verse drama, marked a turning point. Inspired by comic sketches, Guimerà incorporated realistic elements into his theater: simple structure, dialogue-driven narratives, social commentary, urban and industrial settings, and explorations of conflict and passion. In Gunpowder (1893) exemplifies this shift, depicting two workers fighting for their rights and entangled in a passionate love triangle. The play features the symbol of “Terra Alta,” which also appears in The Feast of Corn and Lowlands.
Influence of European Drama: Guimerà’s later works show the influence of Ibsen, Maeterlinck, Strindberg, and, to a lesser extent, Ghelderode.
Masterpieces of Realism: Guimerà’s most important realistic plays are Maria Rosa, Lowlands, and Daughter of the Sea. Set in the worlds of laborers, farmers, and fishermen, respectively, these plays explore social injustice against a backdrop of passionate relationships. They represent a powerful fusion of realism and romanticism.
Maria Rosa
The play revolves around a love triangle. Maria Rosa, a worker, lives with the memory of her husband, Andrew, who died in prison for a crime he did not commit. She falls in love with Marsal, the real killer. On their wedding night, Marsal confesses his guilt under the influence of wine and Maria Rosa stabs him with a bread knife (a recurring symbol in Guimerà’s works).
Lowlands
Sebastian, a wealthy landowner, arranges a marriage between Marta and Manelic, a shepherd, so he can marry a rich heiress and continue exploiting Marta. Marta initially despises Manelic but eventually falls in love with him. When Sebastian discovers their plan to escape, Manelic kills him, exclaiming, “I killed the wolf!”
Daughter of the Sea
Peter Martyr celebrates in Marion, nephew of five, the richest pattern of a fishing village. Agate, an orphan girl found in the sea following a shipwreck, grows with the parents of the Mariona. Agate also loves Peter and tells him that if the voice with Mariona celebrate the kill. This promises fidelity, but due to a misunderstanding, she believes violates the promise and menace. Then throw into the sea, where they had left.
After 50 years, alternating with the realism monologue patriotic, religious drama and romantic legend.
Patriotic Monologue – Master Oleguer
Religious drama – Jesus of Nazareth (could be considered an update of the medieval text “The passion”)
Romantic Legend – The nuns of St. Aimán