Post-Civil War Literature in Spain
Damaso Alonso (1898-1990)
Damaso Alonso, a poet, professor, and critic from Madrid, is often associated with the Generation of ’27. His work, particularly Children of Wrath, is a cornerstone of existential literature. This powerful poem, which opens with a cry against moral misery and injustice, reflects Alonso’s exploration of the human condition and what he termed “the double anxiety.”
Other notable works, such as Dark Essential News and Man and God, continue this thematic thread. Children of Wrath (1944), considered Alonso’s masterpiece, marked a significant departure from traditional poetic forms. It embraced existentialism, free verse, and a raw, honest portrayal of reality, including themes of death and a questioning of God. This work introduced a new aesthetic, thematic, and lexical approach to Spanish poetry.
Children of Wrath: A Closer Look
Children of Wrath is widely regarded as a pivotal work in the development of a more human and authentic style of poetry. Its central theme is the human being’s struggle within a hostile and enigmatic world. The poem’s language is stark and confrontational, designed to evoke a range of emotions in the reader. It serves as both a social and literary critique, rejecting the dehumanized, purely aesthetic poetry of the past (represented by Garcilaso) in favor of free verse that can awaken consciences.
Blas de Otero (1916-1979)
Blas de Otero’s poetic journey can be divided into several distinct stages:
- Existential Poetry: This phase is characterized by a search for meaning in human existence, expressed through dramatic and tense language. Otero often employs classical stanzas interspersed with abrupt cuts that reflect the intensity of his emotions.
- Social Poetry: Here, the focus shifts to the social and political situation in Spain. Themes of human solidarity, the poet’s role in society, and the struggle for peace and justice become prominent. Despite the pain and struggle depicted, there is an underlying faith in a brighter future.
- New Forms of Expression: In this later stage, Otero experiments with freer metrical forms and prose poems. He incorporates unusual imagery, resulting in hermetic texts, and draws upon personal experiences to create a more intimate and introspective style.
Ance by Blas de Otero: An Analysis
Structure/Rhythm: Ance utilizes the sonnet form, employing heroic verse with a rhyme scheme. However, the rhythm is often choppy due to frequent punctuation and strong, impactful words. Hyperbaton (inversion of word order) is also employed. Otero strives for direct communication with the reader, making use of vocatives and imperatives.
Themes: The poem explores existential, metaphysical, and religious themes. Otero seeks dialogue with God, but God remains silent, while man expresses his anguish and pain. Love, war and its consequences, and death are also prominent themes. The sea appears as a symbol of death and infinity.
Style/Figurative Language: Otero uses both first and third person, potentially suggesting a division within the poem. He aims for a communicative and accessible style, employing rhetorical devices that enhance clarity rather than complexity. Repetition and anaphora emphasize key words, while metaphors, synecdoche, synesthesia, allegory, metonymy, oxymoron, epithet displacement, antithesis, and paradox add depth and nuance. Wordplay, idioms, paronomasia, alliteration, and similicadencia contribute to the poem’s popular tone. Exclamations, enumerations, rhetorical questions, parallels, and epifonemas further engage the reader.
Carmen Laforet (1921-2004)
Carmen Laforet, born in 1921, made a significant impact on Spanish literature with her debut novel, Nada (1944), which won the Nadal Prize. This first-person narrative follows the experiences of young Andrea as she navigates the world. Laforet’s work is considered a key example of existential realism, a dominant literary movement in Europe during the 1940s.
Her other notable works include The Island and the Demons (1952), The New Woman (1955), which won the National Prize for Literature, and The Stroke (1963). Laforet’s writing often explores the clash between youthful idealism and the mediocrity of the surrounding environment. She also published a collection of short stories, including the previously unpublished “Letter to Don Juan,” and her daughter, Cristina Cerezales, published White Music (2009), a book about Laforet’s life.
Nada: A Summary
Nada, published in 1944, is a seminal work of existentialist literature. It portrays the stagnation and poverty of post-Civil War Spain through the eyes of its young protagonist. Laforet’s innovative literary style, a departure from the prose of the time, captured the decline of the petty bourgeoisie in the aftermath of the war. The novel’s realistic depiction of society and its exploration of existential themes resonated with readers and established Laforet as a major voice in Spanish literature.