Evolution of Catalan Poetry from the Civil War to the Present

Posted on Aug 2, 2024 in Language

Trends in Catalan Poetry from the Civil War to the 1970s

Symbolist Trend

  • Continuation of traditional themes and forms
  • Authors: Rosa Leveroni, Tower Group
  • Notable work: “Poetry” by Rosa Leveroni

Avant-Garde Trend

  • Innovative and groundbreaking
  • Authors: Joan Brossa
  • Themes: Political commitment, denunciation of violence and oppression, solidarity
  • Notable works: “Catalonia and the Jungle”, “Ode to Joan Miro”

Realistic Trend

  • Most important and influential
  • Authors: Miquel Martí i Pol, Vicent Andrés Estella, Espriu
  • Themes: Social and political struggle, commitment to Catalan culture
  • Notable works: “The Factory” by Miquel Martí i Pol, “Book of Wonders” by Vicent Andrés Estella

Contributions of Vicent Andrés Estella to the Poetic Genre

Social and Civic Engagement

  • Combative solidarity, voice of the people
  • Notable work: “Book of Wonders”

Theme of Love

  • Personal and timeless perspective on love
  • Use of conversational language, direct expression of sexuality
  • Notable poem: “Lovers”

Poetic Composition

  • Dialogue poems, confession poems
  • Use of irony, satire, parody, vulgar words
  • Lexical repetition as a unifying element

Key Features of Espriu’s Poetry

  • Lyrical, elegiac, satirical, and didactic
  • Symbolism and meditation on solitude and death
  • Notable works: “Cemetery Poet”, “Walking the Wall”

Characteristics of Contemporary Catalan Poetry

  • Loss of great masters, emergence of new generations
  • Aesthetic unity with diverse forms and subjects
  • Rejection of realist aesthetics, focus on language and experimentation
  • Cosmopolitanism, culturalism, reflections on poetry itself
  • New themes: feminism, motherhood, gay relationships

Social Impact of Miquel Martí i Pol’s Poetry

  • Exemplary life, social activism, and innovative poetry
  • Realistic depiction of working-class life and social issues
  • Use of direct language, metaphors, and images
  • Notable works: “The Factory”, “Town”
  • Narrative poetry that describes characters and actions