Generation of ’27: A Poetic Revolution in Spain
Unit 2: The Generation of ’27
Historical and Social Context
Europe Between the Wars
A period marked by the rise of totalitarian regimes and the decline of parliamentary systems. Advocacy for women’s integration into the workforce grew, alongside the increasing influence of broadcasting and the maturing film industry.
Spain: Dictatorship and Republic
Primo de Rivera’s dictatorship provided a facade of social order but failed to address Spain’s complex realities. This led to the Republican party’s electoral triumph in 1931. The Second Republic’s reformist agenda (1931-1933) faced resistance, creating two opposing fronts: the Popular Republican Left and the Nationalist Right.
Aesthetic Preferences of the Generation of ’27
The Power of Metaphor
The poets of ’27 profoundly renewed poetic language through innovative use of metaphor. Inspired by both the avant-garde and Baroque poets, their metaphors were daring and dazzling.
Balancing Opposites
These poets synthesized opposing elements, reflecting the rich tapestry of Spanish poetry. This synthesis encompassed intellectual and emotional, mystical and insightful, minority and majority, and universal and Spanish themes.
Metrical Innovations
While using fewer verse varieties than modernists, the Generation of ’27 embraced free verse (vers libre), influenced by Surrealism and prominent Hispanic poets like Vallejo and Neruda. This reflected a new approach to rhythm, with variable measure, pauses, and accent distribution.
Influences: Tradition and Renewal
The Enduring Influence of Tradition
The Generation of ’27 drew inspiration from popular forms, classical poets, and Bécquer. Alberti’s Above the Angels even begins with a quote from Bécquer’s Rhymes. Their reverence for classics like San Juan de la Cruz, Fray Luis de León, Quevedo, and especially Góngora is evident. They also deeply admired Lope de Vega’s popular poems and incorporated traditional forms like ballads and folk songs, as seen in the works of Lorca, Alberti, Dámaso Alonso, and Gerardo Diego. This respect for tradition coexisted with their innovative spirit.
20th-Century Influences
The Generation of ’27 was influenced by Modernism, the Generation of ’98, Juan Ramón Jiménez, the avant-garde movements (Ultraism, Creationism, and particularly Surrealism), and the Peruvian poet César Vallejo. While embracing these influences, they tempered the stridency of their predecessors. Juan Ramón Jiménez and Ramón Gómez de la Serna were highly admired, while Unamuno, the Machado brothers, and Rubén Darío were less so.
Evolutionary Stages
Until 1927: Avant-Garde and Neopopularism
Early works show traces of Postmodernism and Bécquer’s influence. The pursuit of pure poetry, prioritizing artistic expression over human emotion, was compatible with popular forms and early avant-garde influences.
1927-Spanish Civil War: Surrealism and Social Concerns
The poets’ work became increasingly humanized, coinciding with the rise of Surrealism. Expressions of personal anguish were joined by social protest, which intensified during the Republic and the Civil War.
Post-Civil War: Dispersion and Personal Development
Lorca’s death and the exile of several poets marked this period. In Spain, poetry shifted towards anguished humanism (Dámaso Alonso) or introspective exploration (Aleixandre). Exiled poets expressed protest and nostalgia for their homeland.
Key Figures
Federico García Lorca
Lorca excelled in both poetry and drama, exploring themes of death and love fueled by pain, frustration, and death. His early work (1921-1928) stylized popular and traditional forms to convey the tragic experiences of marginalized characters. From 1929 to 1936, he embraced Surrealism, breaking with traditional verse while maintaining solidarity with the marginalized.
Rafael Alberti
A painter and poet, Alberti’s verse is characterized by vibrant colors, rhythmic mastery, and musicality rooted in Spanish tradition. His work evolved from stylized traditional and popular forms (The Lover) to the culmination of his early style in Above the Angels. Later, his verse became more humanized, reflecting solidarity and social concerns, particularly during his exile after the Civil War.
Jorge Guillén
Guillén’s work maintains thematic unity, expressing his vision of the world, universe, life, and nature as a harmonious creation. This perspective, emphasizing absolute being and vitality, is evident in Cántico.
Pedro Salinas
Salinas’s poetry progressed through three stages: an initial blend of avant-garde and modernist influences, followed by a period of deeply human, loving, and intellectually rich poetry exploring the concept of love. His final stage became more objective and engaged with reality.
Vicente Aleixandre
Aleixandre embraced Surrealism, exploring themes of love, pain, death, and helplessness. A Story of the Heart transcends dehumanizing modernism and reflects on the human condition.
Luis Cernuda
Cernuda’s poetry expresses his tormented inner life, marked by pain and frustration stemming from the gap between reality and desire. His style evolved from pure poetry to Surrealist influences in Forbidden Pleasures, where he delves into inner oblivion. He reached his poetic peak with a more narrative style influenced by English poetry.
Gerardo Diego
Diego alternated between avant-garde and traditional poetry. His avant-garde tendencies are prominent in Image, while his traditional style emphasizes human themes.
Dámaso Alonso
Dámaso Alonso played a crucial role in reforming Spanish postwar poetry. His early work exemplified pure poetry, while his later work, including the influential Children of Wrath, explored existential and social themes.