Romanticism and Post-Romanticism: Key Movements & Authors
The Romantic movement, reacting against the emphasis on reason, embraced emotion and feeling. It championed the individual over the social, and freedom of conduct and creation over rigid rules. Romanticism developed in the 19th century, culminating trends that opposed Enlightenment rationalism. Originating in Britain and Germany, it quickly spread through Europe, notably via France.
Romantic authors claimed freedom in all spheres: political freedom, advocating for a liberal state; moral freedom, admiring and portraying characters who lived by their own rules; and artistic freedom, valuing the ability to create original and unique works, inspired by genius rather than rules.
Romanticism emphasized individualism, exalting the human being as a unique individual and highlighting subjectivity as the source of all creative work. It rebelled against the constraints of society, which it saw as limiting individual freedom.
Romanticism in Spain
Romanticism arrived in Spain through liberal intellectuals and developed in two phases: an initial proper Romantic phase and a later post-Romantic phase. From the 1830s, Spanish Romanticism branched into two trends:
- Authors of liberal ideology focused on social criticism. Prominent figures included José de Espronceda in poetry, the Duke of Rivas in theater, and Mariano José de Larra in prose.
- Authors of traditional and conservative ideology. The most notable representative was José Zorrilla, who incorporated characters and stories from Spanish tradition into his works.
Post-Romanticism
In the second half of the century, German influence led to a more intimate poetry, with Rosalía de Castro and Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer as key figures.
Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer
Bécquer’s lyrical production, though not extensive, is considered a starting point for modern Spanish poetry. His collection, Rhymes, includes seventy-nine compositions, many of which were not published during his lifetime. These rhymes are characterized by their brevity, intimacy, and musicality. Bécquer often used monologues and dialogues directed at a ‘you,’ usually a woman. Stylistically, they feature varied rhythms, common language, and metaphors drawn from nature.
His poetry explores the mystery of poetic creation, love stories from the initial illusion to indifference and final separation, and existential pain, reflecting on the pain of existence and death.
Post-Romanticism’s Influence
The influence of German poetry, particularly authors like Heinrich Heine, arrived in Spain in the second half of the 19th century. Post-Romanticism cultivated an intimate poetry based on the expression of emotions and feelings, often reflecting on nature. Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer and Rosalía de Castro were leading figures in this movement.
Rosalía de Castro
Rosalía de Castro played a key role in the revival of literature written in Galician. In Galician Songs, she used popular forms to evoke the customs of her land, often with a vindictive tone on social issues like immigration. Novas Follas, also in Galician, reflects personal emotions and includes poems dedicated to her homeland. On the Banks of Sar, her last book of poems written in Castilian, uses poetic landscapes to share her feelings, with a staccato rhythm reflecting her tormented mind, focusing on feelings of loneliness and death.