Generation of ’27: Spanish Literary Renaissance
Generation of ’27
Introduction
The rich literary scene before the Spanish Civil War reached its peak with the Generation of ’27. This group of young poets, coexisting with the Modernists and Generation of ’98, completed the aesthetic renovation work initiated by the latter. They recognized José Ortega y Gasset and Juan Ramón Jiménez as their teachers.
Characteristics
Several features identify the artistic path of the Generation of ’27:
- Strong bonds of friendship among members.
- Synthesis of expressive resources from both traditional and avant-garde literature.
- Search for a metaphorical language that deviates from everyday reality.
- Special respect for Luis de Góngora, commemorating his tercentenary in 1927.
The dedication to research and teaching literature resulted in numerous conferences, treatises, and essays. Some authors also explored theater and narrative, while all cultivated lyric poetry.
Lyric Poetry
The lyric poetry of the Generation of ’27 is fairly homogeneous. Most members went through two stages:
- First Stage: Prioritized aesthetic achievement, blending elements from Juan Ramón Jiménez’s pure poetry, avant-garde movements (especially Creacionismo and Ultraísmo), and traditional poetry (songs, ballads, admiration for learned poets).
- Second Stage: Showed surrealist influences, with poems filled with disturbing yet beautiful images, mimicking the dream world. After the Civil War, the group split, with exile becoming a major theme for those who left Spain, and existential anguish for those who remained.
Key Figures
Pedro Salinas (1891-1951)
Salinas, a literature professor, focused on expressing his relationship with his surroundings, both his feelings and his position in the world. He addressed everyday objects, engaged in dialogue with readers (as in “Voice Due to You”), communicated with his lover in his second stage, and finally, in exile, conversed with the sea in “The Contemplated”. His style is characterized by uncomplicated expressions, short and assonant verses, and a rhythm resembling conversation, reflecting his constant search for dialogue.
Gerardo Diego (1896-1987)
Born in Cádiz, Diego was a literature professor. His work encompasses a wide variety of styles, including both avant-garde and traditional poetry (sonnets, romances, etc.). His teaching background influenced his work, and notable poems include “Human” and “The Lark”.
Rafael Alberti (1902-1999)
Alberti cultivated prose (e.g., “The Trees Lost Their Memories”) and theater (e.g., “Fermín Galán” and “Eyesore”), but his fame rests on his lyrical work’s thematic and stylistic variety, which can be divided into three stages:
- Until the 1930s: Alberti’s poetry drew inspiration from traditional folk-lyric (“Sailor on Land”), the poetry of Góngora, and avant-garde movements.
- From the 1930s: He focused on social and political issues, culminating in his commitment to the communist movement during the Civil War. “Madrid, Capital of Glory” belongs to this period.
- Post-Civil War: In exile, Alberti continued to address social themes but also explored personal ones, such as nostalgia (“Return of the Living Far Away”).
Linguistic Concepts
- Polysemy: A word can have multiple meanings.
- Homophones: Words that sound alike but are spelled differently.
- Homographs: Words that are spelled the same but have different meanings.
- Synonyms: Words with different forms but the same meaning.
- Antonyms: Words with opposite meanings.