Generation of ’27: A Deep Dive into Spanish Poetry
Generation of ’27: A Literary Renaissance in Spanish Poetry
In the 1920s, a group of exceptional poets emerged, propelling Spanish lyricism to new heights. This group, known as the Generation of ’27, shared a cultural context deeply rooted in the avant-garde movement. Examining Julius Petersen’s theory of literary generations, it’s evident that the Generation of ’27 poets fulfilled many of the criteria. They shared similar intellectual backgrounds, close friendships, and a pivotal generational event—the tribute to Luis de Góngora on the tercentenary of his death. The presence of intellectual figures like Juan Ramón Jiménez and Ortega y Gasset further solidified their identity. Common stylistic features and a shared recognition of the exhaustion of the previous generation also characterized this group.
Aesthetic Synthesis and Thematic Exploration
The poets of the Generation of ’27 achieved a remarkable synthesis of tradition and innovation. They drew inspiration from traditional Spanish poetry, including forms from the Golden Age and the poetry of the nineteenth century, while embracing modern innovations in metrics and imagery. From the twentieth century, they adopted the philosophical concept of reality as something perceived and dreamt, influenced by Unamuno and Machado.
Their poetry delved into fundamental human experiences: love, the universe, fate, and death. They also explored themes related to technological advancements, urban development, and the concept of individual freedom. Influenced by the avant-garde, art itself became a subject of poetic creation, with nature often integrated into the poetic landscape.
Stylistic Innovations and Evolution
The Generation of ’27 revolutionized poetic language through the use of metaphors and visionary imagery, forging connections between objects and emotions. They seamlessly blended traditional metric forms with free verse, achieving a unique rhythm.
The evolution of this group can be divided into three stages:
- First Stage (until approximately 1927): Marked by the influence of pure poetry, creationism, and futurism. This period saw an exploration of themes like mastery and the pursuit of what lies beyond reality. A notable work from this stage is Omens by Pedro Salinas.
- Second Stage (until 1936): A process of re-humanization began, with a focus on exploring the self and human emotions. This coincided with a turbulent political climate, making it difficult for artists to remain detached. Salinas’s love trilogy, including Voice Due to You, Love, and Long Lament Reason, falls within this phase.
- Third Stage (from 1936, coinciding with the Spanish Civil War): The Generation of ’27 tragically fragmented. Lorca was killed, others were forced into exile, and some remained in Spain. The theme of commitment persisted in their work, albeit through different paths. Salinas’s The Viewer, written in exile, belongs to this stage.
Key Figures of the Generation of ’27
The following sections provide a brief overview of some of the most prominent poets of the Generation of ’27:
Pedro Salinas
For Salinas, poetry was a means of reaching the essence of things and life experiences. Love, both for people and things, and the longing for fulfillment were central themes in his work. His deceptively simple style employed contrasts, alternating between long sentences and concise, impactful statements. Dialogue played a significant role, and he achieved rhythm through parallelism and repetition. Salinas favored short verses, particularly the octosyllabic, and often avoided rhyme.
Jorge Guillén
Guillén’s poetry extracted ideas and essential feelings from concrete realities. His themes included the joyous affirmation of being, love, the fullness of human experience, time, and chaos. His artistic purification manifested in a condensed and precise language, characterized by simple sentence structures and punctuation that emphasized vital sensations. He employed a variety of metric forms. Guillén grouped his poetry until 1968 under the title Our Air, which included sections like Song, Clamor (cries of protest against historical horrors), and Tribute (poems dedicated to historical and artistic figures).
Gerardo Diego
Diego’s poetry is striking in its thematic, tonal, and stylistic variety. He embraced diverse styles and trends, from traditional forms to the avant-garde. His work encompassed themes of love, landscape, memories, bullfighting, and more. He categorized his poetry into two types: relative (grounded in reality) and absolute (based on itself). His relative poetry, linked to traditional lyricism, includes works like The Ballad of the Bride and Human Verses. His absolute poetry, encompassing his avant-garde works, includes Image and Manual Foams, where narrative is minimized, and imagery takes center stage.
Federico García Lorca
Lorca was a pivotal figure in the Generation of ’27, renowned for his literary contributions and his role in cultural life. He is the most internationally recognized Spanish poet, appealing to a wide audience. A sense of tragic fate permeates his poetry, hindering individuals from fulfilling their deepest desires. From his early Book of Poems to the Sonnets of Dark Love, this tension fuels his tragic vision. Symbolic modes replace direct expression, evident in works like Songs, Gypsy Ballads, and Poem of the Cante Jondo. This overview provides a glimpse into Lorca’s representative works without delving into detailed analysis.
Rafael Alberti
Alberti’s poetic journey began with an apparently popular style in works like Marinero en Tierra and I Was a Fool and What I’ve Seen Has Made Me Two Fools, revealing influences of Góngora and the avant-garde. He evolved towards surrealist techniques in About Angels. A shift to socially committed poetry is evident in A Spectre is Haunting Europe. His social concerns continued in exile, expressed through evocation and memory in Between the Carnation and the Sword. Poems of Exile and Waiting represents his extended exile period. His themes included childhood, homeland, and exile. Stylistically, his tone was enveloping, with repetitions reminiscent of folk poetry, employing vivid imagery and lists. He used diverse metric forms, from popular structures to free verse.
Luis Cernuda
Cernuda’s poetry reflects a continuous struggle with frustration stemming from various sources: his homosexuality, feelings of exile and estrangement, and the perception that his poetry was overlooked or undervalued. His work is characterized by a tension between reality and desire. Desire encompasses erotic love, beauty, truth, and genuine human connection. The reality experienced by the poet consistently denies and frustrates these desires. His themes revolve around loneliness, longing for a habitable world, yearning for perfect beauty, and above all, love. Stylistically, his early work aligns with his contemporaries. From 1932, he embarked on a unique path, primarily using free verse while occasionally employing traditional meters. He rejected rhyme and favored a clear, richly illustrated language. His initial phase includes Profile of the Air, in line with pure poetry, and Eclogue, Elegy, and Ode. Forbidden Pleasures marks a prerealistic phase, revealing his confrontation with a hostile world. The consolidation phase includes Donde Habite el Olvido, characterized by desolation, sincerity, and invocations of solitude. The Clouds was written during the war and early exile. In exile, bitterness is evident in works like Como Quien Espera el Alba, Vivir Sin Estar Viviendo, Con Unas Horas, and Desolation of the Chimera.
Vicente Aleixandre
Aleixandre dedicated himself entirely to poetry. Love, the erotic and vital impulse, and nature as a source of life formed the core themes of his work. Visionary metaphors are a hallmark of his style. He employed free verse and frequently alternated between long and short lines. His ability to combine lengthy sentences with concise, emphatic statements and exclamatory sentences contributed to the evocative nature of his texts. His initial stage was marked by a radical pessimism. The desolate drive for oneness with nature is evident in Passion of the Earth. Espadas Como Labios explores the destructive force of love. Solidarity became a key theme in later works like History of the Heart and In a Vast Domain. His final stage blended a conversational tone and imaginative power with a reflective quality.
The Generation of ’27 left an indelible mark on Spanish literature. Their innovative spirit, thematic depth, and stylistic brilliance continue to resonate with readers today, solidifying their place as a pivotal force in the evolution of Spanish poetry.