Literary Movements: Romanticism in Spain
Literary Movements
Romanticism in Spain
Romanticism was a revolutionary movement that impacted every aspect of life. Compared with Neoclassical ideals, many Romanticists defended the rights of fantasy, imagination, and irrational forces. While Neoclassicism still had a presence, the Romantic spirit was intense, albeit brief, in Spain. The second half of the century was dominated by Realism and Naturalism, with notable figures like Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer and Rosalía de Castro.
The movement was initiated by thinkers like Rousseau and Goethe. A prominent literary trend was the costumbrismo, which focused on contemporary customs and manners, with authors like Mesonero Romanos and Serafín Estébanez Calderón standing out.
Traditional Romanticism
Traditional Romanticism embraced the slogan of freedom, although few understood it beyond a simple restoration of traditional values – ideological, patriotic, and religious. It exalted Christianity and the homeland. Authors in this vein include Walter Scott, Ángel de Saavedra (Duke of Rivas), José Zorrilla, and Cecilia Böhl de Faber.
Liberal Romanticism
In contrast, Liberal Romanticism saw citizens fighting against the existing order. Authors in this trend include José de Espronceda, Lord Byron, and Victor Hugo.
Characteristics of Romanticism
- Aversion to Neoclassicism: Compared with the rigor of the 18th century, Romanticism mixed genres and verse forms. It combined verse with prose and disregarded the unities of time and place in theater, alternating between comedy and tragedy.
- Subjectivism: The protagonist of Romantic works is the author’s soul, expressing feelings of dissatisfaction. Romantic authors incorporate nature into their emotional states.
- Escapism: Romantics sought refuge from the world around them, imagining and evoking bygone eras and exotic settings. Common genres include the novel, the legend, and the historical drama.
- Attraction to the Night and the Sepulchral: Romantics were drawn to the supernatural, mystery, and darkness.
Poetry During the Romanticism
Characteristics of Romantic Poetry
Romantic poets created poems of rapture and trance, expressing deep emotions. Their poems are often lyrical and forceful, blending elevated language with prosaic verses. Common themes include melancholy, exaltation, protest, love, intimacy, historical events, legends, and exotic settings. They were attracted to mystery and rebelled against injustice. Their settings often include night, cemeteries, and the sea.
Romantic lyric verses are intimate, personal, and contain marked rhythms.
José de Espronceda
Born in Almendralejo, Espronceda, along with other young people, formed the secret society of The Numantia, which aimed to overthrow the absolute government. He later fled to Lisbon, where he met Teresa Mancha. He returned to Spain, but Teresa left and died shortly before they were to be remarried. Espronceda cultivated major genres like epic poetry, the historical novel, and public dramas.
After returning from exile, he composed poems like The Pirate, The Beggar, The Executioner, Cossack Song, and The Song of the Dead. His most important works were The Student of Salamanca and El Diablo Mundo (The Devil World).
Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer
Orphaned in Seville, Bécquer pursued a literary career in Madrid at the age of 18. He fell in love with Elisa Guillén, but they soon separated. He later married Casta Esteban, but their marriage was unhappy. He worked as a journalist and censor of novels but lost his job. He lived a bohemian life and died disillusioned at the age of 34.
Bécquer’s fame rests on his Leyendas (Legends), which feature mystery and supernatural elements, and his Rimas (Rhymes). The Rimas are short compositions of 2, 3, or 4 stanzas, generally with assonant rhyme and free verse. He compiled a manuscript that disappeared, but he reconstructed the missing rhymes and included them in his collection, which he called “Book of Sparrows.” His poems are characterized by their magnificent and natural sound, as well as their brevity and emotional intensity.
Rosalía de Castro
Rosalía de Castro represents another peak in Romantic poetry. Born in Santiago de Compostela to unmarried parents, she experienced lifelong bitterness. She married the historian Manuel Murguía and lived in various parts of Castile before settling permanently in Galicia. Her marriage was unhappy.
Among her works, the novel The Knight of the Blue Boots stands out. Her first poetry collections were La Flor (The Flower) and A mi madre (To My Mother). Three works cemented her fame: two written in Galician, Cantares gallegos (Galician Songs) and Follas novas (New Leaves), and one in Castilian, En las orillas del Sar (On the Banks of the Sar).