Modernism in Spanish Literature: A Comprehensive Overview
Modernism
A Literary Revolution
Modernism, a prominent movement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, responded to societal progress across various fields. This era of modernity saw a reaction against positivism, anti-realist aesthetics, and naturalism. Modernism emerged as a global phenomenon, with its origins in France through literary symbolism and Parnassianism, finding notable parallels in other European artistic currents. The movement had a significant impact on Spanish and Portuguese literature.
Key Characteristics of Modernism
- Emphasis on the musicality of language and aesthetic beauty.
- Use of symbols, drawing inspiration from classical myths.
- Exploration of exotic themes as an escape from mundane reality.
- Focus on rhythm and meter, including the Alexandrine verse (14 syllables).
- Interest in Latin America’s indigenous past and Spain’s historical and cultural values.
- Complete renovation of literary language.
Key Figures of Modernism
Rubén Darío is considered the leading figure of Modernism. Other prominent poets include Salvador Rueda, Antonio Machado, Juan Ramón Jiménez, and Manuel Machado. Valle Inclán excelled in prose.
Juan Ramón Jiménez (1881–1958)
Born in Moguer (Huelva), Jiménez moved to Madrid in 1900 to champion Modernism, becoming one of its pioneers in Spain. He received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1956 and passed away two years later. Known for his sensitivity, impressionability, elitism, and pursuit of beauty and perfection, Jiménez dedicated his life to poetry.
Three Stages of Jiménez’s Work
- Sensitive Stage: Adolescent poetry filled with memories, recollections, landscapes, gardens, and sunsets. This stage evolves into a more Baroque and Modern style, characterized by rich adjectives and the use of the Alexandrine verse. It concludes with Spiritual Sonnets.
- Intellectual Stage: Characterized by pure poetry—intellectual and challenging, stripped of unnecessary ornamentation, argument, or sentiment. Poems are short and dense, appealing to a select audience. Key works include Eternidades, Piedra y cielo, and Belleza.
- True Stage: Written in exile after 1936, this stage delves into metaphysics and hermeticism. Notable works include En el otro costado and Dios deseado y deseante.
Juan Ramón Jiménez represents the pinnacle of 20th-century Spanish poetry and remains a significant influence on the Generation of ’27.
Rubén Darío
Biography
Born in Nicaragua, Darío traveled to Spain in 1889. In 1915, he published The Life of Rubén Darío. Ill, he returned to Nicaragua, where he died the following year. In his youth, he embraced progressive stances on American issues and soon encountered new poetic trends, particularly those of French origin. At twenty, he achieved his first success with Azul. In 1892, he came to Spain and met prominent Spanish writers. He returned in 1899, already an icon, and shared the disillusionment of the Generation of ’98. From 1900, he lived in Paris and Madrid, traveling throughout Europe and America as a diplomat. His intense life and excesses impacted his health, leading to an early death.
Style and Works
Darío embodies Modernism, encompassing pagan, exotic, legendary, cosmopolitan, and intimate themes. His style ranges from frivolous and sensual to meditative and patriotic. His mastery of diverse forms, striking imagery, sensory strength, and musicality are renowned. He enriched the metric forms of his time. After early works, he published Azul in 1888. His skill is evident in his poetry dedicated to the seasons and his sonnets written in Alexandrine verse. His poem dedicated to Caupolicán is particularly famous. His style solidified with Prosas Profanas (1896), his most brilliant and vital work, featuring the unforgettable Sonatina. Another peak is Cantos de Vida y Esperanza (1905), revolving around three themes: escaping reality, social and political concerns, and personal questioning.
Antonio Machado (1875–1939)
Born in Seville, Machado was elected to the Royal Spanish Academy. During the Spanish Civil War, he sought refuge in France, where he died in 1939. Considered a lyrical poet of his generation, his work is divided into three stages:
- Modernist Stage: Includes Soledades, Galerías, and other poems. These works are distinctly Modernist, with a reflective and melancholic tone. Common symbols include water (stagnant representing death, flowing representing life), the wheel (return), the garden (melancholy), and roads (life).
- Campos de Castilla Stage: Shifts focus outwards to the landscape, people, and history of Castile, which symbolizes Spain. Expresses deep patriotic concern. Includes the extensive romance La tierra de Alvargonzález, exploring the conflict between brothers and countrymen as a central problem of Spanish society.
- Final Stage: After his wife Leonor’s death, he wrote philosophical reflections in Proverbios y Cantares. He also published Nuevas Canciones, a short work inspired by popular songs with evocative landscapes.