Federico García Lorca: Life, Poetry, and Theater
Federico García Lorca: A Literary Journey
Federico García Lorca is one of the most popular writers in and outside Spain, due to the high quality of his production and the fact that his life and death have been mythologized.
Early Life and Influences
Born in Fuente Vaqueros in 1898, Lorca studied literature, law, and philosophy. He was also dedicated to music and drawing. In 1919, he arrived in Madrid and moved into the Residencia de Estudiantes, where he met many of the artists of that time, including Rafael Alberti, Luis Buñuel, and Salvador Dalí. There, he could demonstrate his overwhelming personality and artistic genius. In 1929, he won a scholarship to travel to New York, a trip that substantially affected him.
Return to Spain and Theatrical Career
Upon returning from New York, Lorca focused on poetry and theater. In 1932, he founded a university theater company called La Barraca, leading Spanish classical theater throughout Spain. In 1936, Lorca was killed in Granada; his death remains a political issue to this day.
Lorca’s Poetic Work
Lorca’s poetic work is divided into two stages, separated by his trip to New York:
First Stage (1918-1928)
This stage is characterized by its links with the popular, with Andalusia, and with the traditional spirit of this region. The works from this period include Romancero Gitano and Poema del Cante Jondo.
Second Stage (1929-1936)
During his trip to New York, Lorca left the popular tone and added surrealism to his works, making the poetry of this period more universal and avant-garde. The most important works of this period are Poeta en Nueva York and Llanto por Ignacio Sánchez Mejías.
Most Important Works
Poema del Cante Jondo
This is a recreation of Andalusia, but not the atmosphere of the festive and joyous Andalusia, but rather a painful and tragic one. The book highlights the use of symbols, words, and verses characteristic of Andalusian folklore (seguidillas, soleá, romances, etc.).
Romancero Gitano
This is his most popular work. In it, the gypsy becomes a symbol of freedom and spontaneity in front of a corseted and oppressive civilization.
Poeta en Nueva York
This book reflects the poet’s experience in the United States. It is a protest against the dehumanization of modern life, whose highest expression is New York.
Federico García Lorca’s Theater
Lorca was interested in theater from a young age, considering it a more direct and thorough form of communication with the public than poetry.
Lorquian Tragedies
Lorca wrote three tragedies, all of which are set in rural Andalusia and recreate an environment based on the feelings and freedom of individuals.
- Bodas de Sangre (Blood Wedding): This play is about the amorous passion of two young gypsies separated by vendettas.
- Yerma (Barren): This play tells the tragedy of a woman who wants to be a mother but cannot.
- La Casa de Bernarda Alba (The House of Bernarda Alba): This is considered Lorca’s theatrical masterpiece. It addresses the conflict that exists between the authoritarianism of Bernarda Alba (a woman who decreed eight years of mourning and isolation for her entire family after the death of her husband) and the desire for freedom of her daughters.
Style
The most characteristic feature of Lorca’s literature is the skillful combination of traditional resources (short poems, popular verse, rhyme, assonance, simple lexicon, etc.).