Joan Maragall’s Poetic Evolution and Ideals

Maragall’s Dual Nature in Writing

At this stage, Maragall toggles vitality with decadence, manifesting a duality. Gaziel described Maragall’s theory of the “double bottom.”^[53] Maragall’s words, “Life, as it comes, is beautiful above all; the life already lived is sad,”^[54] seem to explain how his work contains texts of external and intellectual origin (comments on the present in *Diario de Barcelona*) and others from a deeper, more intimate, and religious source.^[55]

Professionalism and Early Publications

His work in *Diario de Barcelona* represented his professionalism as a writer. He debuted as an editor with the article “Paraguay” on October 22, 1892.^[30]

In 1893, he began publishing in the journal *L’Avenç*. His article on Nietzsche^[56] was the first on the topic in Catalan,^[30] and he signed it with the pseudonym “Pamphilos.”^[57] He later collaborated as a translator and poet, and much of his work was published by this publication.

Early Works and Influences

Meanwhile, in 1892, he wrote *Pirineus*, a play with decadentist music. The same year, he participated in the Modernista Festival of Sitges, where he unveiled snippets of Nietzsche’s work. During summers in San Juan de las Abadesas, he wrote *La Vaca Cega* (*The Blind Cow*).

In his collaboration as a weekly columnist, he speaks about the city, politics, international affairs, customs, and new inventions. He has a clear didactic approach, looking to guide the Barcelona bourgeoisie, who lack cultural concerns, something that deeply disturbs Maragall.^[58]

“Paternal” and “Excelsior”

In 1893, when he returned home after the Liceu bombing, he saw his wife breastfeeding their child. From this image, he wrote *Paternal*, an optimistic poem that becomes a statement of faith in the ultimate goodness of life and an assertion of innocence over political interests, hatred, and fear. The strength of the poem lies not in the simple contrast between public and private life, but in the association between two types of barbarism: the violence of the civil world and the innocent child.

In this year’s poem *Excelsior*, which also stems from Nietzschean vitalism, he speaks of the rejection of ideological inflexibility and proclaims an endless journey, open to everything new. It’s a program of life, not losing one’s way, in search of a goal, insisting on the journey itself, the continuous movement.^[59]

Decadentist Period and *Poems* (1895)

In 1894, slightly influenced by the fashion of the time, he entered a decadentist period. Examples are the *Estances decadentistes* (1894) and the collection *Poems* (1895), structured in three parts: *Claror*, *Pirineus*, and *Fulles de l’any*, with *L’Oda infinita* and *Excelsior* as a prologue and epilogue, respectively.^[60] This collection includes *The Blind Cow*, a poem that incorporated the theme of *nature*, one of the key themes in Maragall’s poetry.

Awards and Shifting Ideologies

That same year, 1894, he won the Englantina d’or at the Jocs Florals de Barcelona with the poem *La Sardana*. In the 1896 edition, he won the Viola d’argent with *El mal caçador*.^[38]

In this second phase, Maragall begins to develop a Catalan identity different from the *Renaixença*, aligning with vitalism. In 1898, he published his “Three Songs of War”: *Els adéus*, *Oda a Espanya*, and *Cant del retorn*, beginning a process of rupture with Spain.^[61]

Moral Values and Openness

Around 1900, Maragall accepted moral values and, at the same time, felt free from the dictates of his own ideas, open to everything that came his way.