Modernism and the Generation of ’98
Modernism and the Generation of ’98 in Spanish Literature
Modernism
Modernism was an aesthetic movement that emerged in the late 19th century as a reaction against bourgeois materialism and the perceived crisis of conscience it engendered. It synthesized innovative attitudes and sought to revitalize art and literature.
Modernism in Spain
Modernism in Spain was spearheaded by Rubén Darío. It differed from other European expressions of Modernism by exhibiting a greater degree of intimacy and symbolism, with less emphasis on external brilliance and Parnassian aesthetics. Manuel Machado is considered a key representative of Spanish Modernism.
Characteristics of Modernism
- Emphasis on art and beauty as ideals.
- Synthesis of all art forms and an attempt to transform life into art.
- Creation of a sensory literature through evocative effects.
- Revival of traditional verse forms like the Alexandrine and the hendecasyllable.
- Appreciation for the strange and the beautiful.
- Existential angst and an embrace of the irrational and emotional.
- Exploration of themes of decadence and melancholic aestheticism.
- Escapism through introspection, travel, and historical immersion.
- Cosmopolitanism and multilingualism.
Modernism and Spanish Poetry in the Early 20th Century
By the late 19th century, Spanish poetry was ripe for change. Modernism emerged as a significant force, shaping the development of lyric poetry. Initially, the term “modernist” was used derogatorily by writers who resisted these new trends. However, Rubén Darío, considered the master of Modernism, rose to become the movement’s most prominent figure.
Rubén Darío
Darío’s early work is characterized by its plasticity and vibrant musicality. His later poetry exhibits a shift towards greater intimacy, introspection, and philosophical depth.
Manuel Machado
Manuel Machado developed a distinctive style that blended French influences with Andalusian roots. His poetry addressed both frivolous and serious themes, demonstrating a high level of aesthetic refinement and technical mastery.
Antonio Machado
Antonio Machado viewed poetry as an expression of the soul’s innermost feelings. This perspective led him to eschew excessive formalism. His poetic trajectory can be divided into three stages:
- Modernist Stage: Influenced by Symbolism and the introspective poetry of Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer. Machado’s poetry during this period is characterized by its focus on essential experiences and the subjective perception of time. It often takes the form of a monologue in which the poet projects his inner world onto external symbols, employing plain yet connotative language.
- Campos de Castilla Stage: This stage reflects Machado’s profound connection with the landscape and people of Soria. His poetry becomes more engaged with ethical and social concerns, aligning him with the Generation of ’98.
- New Songs Stage: This final stage is marked by a sense of decline and introspection. Machado’s focus shifts towards philosophical and existential themes.
Ramón del Valle-Inclán
Valle-Inclán, primarily known as a playwright and novelist, also produced poetry. His work aligns with Modernist aesthetics, exploring themes of Spain’s darker side through an expressionistic lens. Sin and death are prominent motifs in his poetry.
Miguel de Unamuno
Unamuno’s poetry stands apart from the dominant Modernist trends. His style is sober, reflective, and metaphysical, prioritizing content over form. His poems serve as vehicles for expressing his philosophical ideas and existential anxieties.
The Generation of ’98
The Generation of ’98 refers to a group of writers who shared a deep concern for the state of Spain and engaged with philosophical questions, often incorporating elements of Modernist aesthetics into their work.
Stages of the Generation of ’98
:
· Youth 98: stage of rebellion against society and culture, reflecting the bourgeois crisis.
· Activism Group Three: Azorín, Baroja and Maeztu signed with the pseudonym of Los Tres. Published a manifesto to change the situation in Spain.
• The idealism contemplative activism ends in disappointment conducive to a contemplative and skeptical idealism.
· Maturity and dissolution of 98: Each author takes his own personal journey and ideologically, all still have an idealism and sustain close relationships.
Characteristics of the Class of 98:
The concerns are in the crisis of positivism, will question the meaning of human existence from an irrational philosophy, with an anxious attitude problem and a religious faith that generates a struggle between intellectual and vital. This perspective makes the essay and fiction blurring their boundaries.
Spain’s theme is intensified from 1898. The issue does not arise from the regeneration but from a level of belief. Projected on a subjective view of reality, that look is also critical.
The critical inquiry to discover the past and present evils permanent assessment of what lies not only in the external history and especially in the intrahistory.
The modernists feel the need to renew the language (more accurate and sober) and is not reduced to formal values and express ideas. They have a renewed desire for style and novelistic technique.
The Generation of ’98 and the early Spanish novel of the XXth century:
The realistic narrative persists early twentieth centuries. But emerging novelists inspired by the current renewal modernist break new ground. In 1902 he published four novels that signify the beginning of the renovation and renewal are a narrative, stylistic and technical: the omniscient narrator loses infallibility, the argument becomes fragmented, the descriptions tend to be impressionistic …
Miguel de Unamuno
Projected in its existential thought his novels, is written with a dry tongue, a lively style and with some rhetoric. Have little action and lack of reference to space over time, because what matters inside. Unamuno tends to blur the boundaries between reality and fiction. His star is San Manuel Bueno, Martyr.
José Martínez Ruiz, Azorín:
Mixed novels and essays, the issues are the melancholy by the passage of time and the search for permanence. His precise, concise and brief phrases. His most influential works were the first (Antonio Azorin). Your post reflects on myths narrative or literary avant-garde experience.