Post-War and Social Poetry in Spain: 1940s & 1950s
Post-War Poetry in Spain: The 1940s
Existential Poetry
The Spanish Civil War dramatically impacted intellectual and artistic life, dividing poetry into two main streams. Established poets like Dámaso Alonso and Vicente Aleixandre continued their work alongside the Generation of ’36. In exile, poets like Juan Ramón Jiménez and León Felipe focused on the theme of Spain, evident in works like Felipe’s Verses and Prayers of a Walker.
Rooted Poetry
Centered around the Escorial and magazines like Garcilaso, the “garcilacistas” embraced idealism. Their themes included love, family, Catholicism, Castilian landscapes, and the glorification of the ruling regime. This serenity is reflected in their style, particularly in their use of sonnets with balanced language. Key figures include Leopoldo Panero, Luis Felipe Vivanco, Dionisio Ridruejo, and José García Nieto, with Luis Rosales, author of In April and The House On, as the most prominent representative.
Uprooted Poetry
Dámaso Alonso’s Children of Wrath (1944), published in the magazine Espadilla, marked the beginning of this movement. It explored themes of existential angst, the search for meaning, and a distant God. Using simpler language and a dramatic tone, authors like Victoriano Crémer, José Luis Hidalgo, Eugenio de Nora, Blas de Otero (Ancia), and Gabriel Celaya (Speaking Quietly) gave voice to this current. Alonso’s Children of Wrath stands as a powerful outcry against moral misery and injustice.
The “Song” Group
This group from Córdoba, influenced by Greco-Roman and Baroque poetry, considered themselves heirs of the Generation of ’27.
Social Poetry: The 1950s
Social poetry evolved from the poetry of the 1940s, shifting from individual to collective concerns. Poetry became a tool for social transformation, addressing the masses and highlighting Spain’s problems. Themes included social injustice, the longing for peace and freedom, and solidarity with the oppressed. The style, influenced by censorship, was characterized by plain language and a conversational tone, which sometimes became monotonous.
Social poetry appeared in the works of José Hierro and the poets of the “poetic group of the 50s.” Blas de Otero’s I Ask for Peace and the Word and Gabriel Celaya’s Cantos Ibéricos are emblematic of this movement.
José Hierro
Hierro’s work transcends categorization. Early works like Earth Without Us explore heartache, while later works like The Fifth of ’42 and Knowing About Me align with social poetry. His later works include Hallucinations and New York Notebook.
Blas de Otero
Otero’s work can be divided into three stages:
- Existential Poetry: Explores the meaning of human existence, characterized by helplessness and a yearning for eternity. Key works include Angel Fiercely Conscientious and Strengthen Human and Melt in the Elderly.
- Social Poetry: Focuses on Spain’s situation, the poet’s social role, and human solidarity. Notable works include I Ask for Peace and the Word and That is Spain.
- New Forms of Expression: Experiments with freer metrical forms and prose poems, exploring personal themes.
Gabriel Celaya
Celaya is renowned for his social poetry, particularly his works from the 1950s, such as The Cards Face Up, Speaking Quietly, and Singing Iberian.