Post-War Spanish Poetry: An Overview
Between 1936 and 1939, a literature of ideological propaganda developed, where poetry became a weapon. From the war’s end onward, Spanish poetry navigated diverse social and historical circumstances, shaping its various orientations.
The 1940s
This decade saw the rise of two distinct poetic currents. First, a nationalist, escapist poetry flourished, exemplified by the Garcilaso group and the Generation of ’36, often labeled “rooted” poetry. Alongside this, a poetry of existential angst emerged, associated with the journal Espadaña and known as “uprooted” poetry.
The 1950s
Social poetry took center stage, wielding ideology to denounce injustice.
The 1960s
The Generation of ’50 (or ’60) explored new artistic paths, focusing on the individual while maintaining a connection to social realities.
The Early 1970s
The “newest” poetry embraced aestheticism and incorporated elements of mass culture.
From 1975 to the Present
Current poetry exhibits diverse trends, with a tendency to move away from the aestheticism of earlier generations.
Miguel Hernandez: A Post-War Poet
Considered a link between the Generation of ’27 and post-war poets, Miguel Hernandez’s work is filled with human emotion: love, life, death, and the denunciation of oppression. His brief career can be divided into four stages:
Early Compositions
Rooted in the tradition of culteranismo, exemplified by Perito en Lunas, which shows the influence of Góngora.
Love Poetry
Represented by El rayo que no cesa (1934-1935), featuring sonnets and the notable Elegía a Ramón Sijé.
Social Poetry
A more belligerent tone emerges in works like Viento del pueblo (1937) and El hombre acecha (1937-1939).
Later Poetry
Written in prison, Cancionero y romancero de ausencias explores themes of love, pain, and despair.
Poetry in Exile
The Civil War and subsequent dictatorship forced many artists into exile, including Salinas, Cernuda, Guillén, Alberti, Altolaguirre, and Prados. Juan Ramón Jiménez also composed his final works in exile. These poets followed different paths, but a shared anguish for Spain permeates their work. León Felipe stands out with works like Versos y oraciones del caminante and Español del éxodo y del llanto.
The Poetry of the 1940s: The Generation of ’36
This group, born between 1909 and 1922, experienced the war in their youth. They incorporated new trends that would shape later generations. In the early 1940s, poetry returned to classical themes like love, religion, and homeland, while also incorporating themes of the imperial state. This “rooted” poetry, often associated with the victors of the war, found outlets in magazines like Escorial and Garcilaso. Key poets include Ridruejo, Leopoldo Panero, and Luis Rosales, with Rosales’s La casa encendida being a notable work of the period.
Uprooted Poetry
Emerging in 1944 with the publication of Vicente Aleixandre’s Sombra del paraíso and Dámaso Alonso’s Hijos de la ira, and the founding of the magazine Espadaña, this movement explored themes of religious conflict, doubt, despair, hunger, repression, and injustice. Key figures include Victoriano Crémer (Tacto sonoro, Caminos de mi sangre), Gabriel Celaya (Tranquilamente hablando), José Hierro (Tierra sin nosotros, Alegría), Blas de Otero (Ángel fieramente humano, Redoble de conciencia), and Eugenio de Nora (Pueblo cautivo).
The “Cántico” group, centered around the magazine of the same name, drew influence from Juan Ramón Jiménez, Luis Cernuda, and Jorge Guillén. Their poetry was learned, refined, and intimate, focusing on romantic, sensual, and religious themes.
The Poetry of the 1950s
Three major poets dominated this era: Blas de Otero, José Hierro, and Gabriel Celaya.
Blas de Otero, with Ángel fieramente humano, challenged traditional religious poetry. His later works, Pido la paz y la palabra and En este país, embraced social poetry.
José Hierro, particularly in Quinta del 42 and the renowned Réquiem, reflected the realities of his time.
Gabriel Celaya, also associated with social poetry, is known for the direct and prosaic style of Cantos iberos.
Vanguard Poetry: Postismo
Initiated by Carlos Edmundo de Ory, Eduardo Chicharro, and Silvano Sernesi, Postismo aimed to revolutionize poetry. Despite censorship limiting their magazine to a single issue, their influence continued. Other notable avant-garde poets included Juan Eduardo Cirlot, the Dau al Set group, and Ángel Crespo.
The Poetry of the 1960s: The Generation of ’50
Born between 1924 and 1936, these “children of war” rejected the overt political intent of earlier poetry, focusing instead on personal and autobiographical elements. They prioritized poetry as knowledge over poetry as communication. Key figures include Ángel González, José Manuel Caballero Bonald, José María Valverde, Carlos Barral, José Agustín Goytisolo, Jaime Gil de Biedma, José Ángel Valente, Francisco Brines, Félix Grande, Carlos Sahagún, and Claudio Rodríguez.
Their poetry is characterized by:
- Themes: Daily urban life, friendship, love, work, childhood, and adolescence.
- Style: Colloquial language elevated to an artistic level, emphasizing personal expression over social commentary.
Social Poetry
This movement focused on human suffering and social concerns. Poets like Gabriel Celaya and Blas de Otero used poetry as a weapon to raise political consciousness. The Barcelona school, represented by Jaime Gil de Biedma (Moralidades), combined social and personal critique with humor and a deep knowledge of poetic tradition.
Ángel González, influenced by Antonio Machado, wrote socially conscious poetry, compiled in Palabra sobre palabra.
Claudio Rodríguez celebrated rural life in Don de la ebriedad (1954), showing Machado’s influence.
José Ángel Valente represents a transition from social poetry to the poetry of “last things”.