Romanticism in Literature: Spain in the 19th Century
Romanticism in Literature
Romanticism was a cultural and artistic movement that emerged in Germany and England in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It represented a unique perspective and laid the foundations of the ideology of the bourgeois liberal state. From a historical perspective, its arrival in Spain was delayed compared to the rest of European countries. It constituted a revolution on a cultural and social level, reflected in events such as the rise of the bourgeoisie and the increase in the literate population.
Key Themes of Romantic Ideology
The most important themes of Romantic ideology were:
- Freedom and individualism
- Subjectivity and sentimentality
- Existential angst
- Escape from reality
- Love
All of these were addressed using a lexicon replete with neologisms, colloquialisms, and a glossary in search of subjectivity, sentimentality, and emotion.
Stages of the Romantic Movement in Spain
The presence of new elements and the break from tradition allows us to distinguish three stages in the movement:
- The first provides a traditionalist view attached to the defense of Catholicism, characteristic of early 19th-century German Romanticism.
- In the early 1830s, the influence of French Romanticism is evident.
- The transition to realistic poetry is characterized by an *intimista* (intimate) tendency.
Romantic Drama
Romantic drama began with the play “Don Alvaro o la fuerza del sino” (“Don Alvaro, or the Force of Fate”) by the Duke of Rivas, among others. From this came works like “Don Juan Tenorio” by José Zorrilla. All of them broke with neoclassical standards, such as the rule of three unities. They mixed tragedy with comedy, verse with prose, and divided the works into *jornadas* (acts) with detailed dimensions. The staging was of great importance, primarily starring passionate women and men who were victims of fate. They covered topics such as adultery, suicide, fatality, and passionate love. For example, the first work cited, “Don Alvaro o la fuerza del sino,” consists of five acts, beginning with genre scenes that deal with honor, revenge, and fatality. The second, “Don Juan Tenorio,” has two parts, and its main theme is free will. The work refers to the myth of Don Juan.
Romantic Prose
Romantic prose was reflected in historical novels (both contemporary and medieval), social novels, and also in *costumbrismo* (customs) – descriptive texts that reflect different aspects of society at the time. Larra, creator of the literary article, critically reviewed reforms and proposed changes. He reflected his liberal ideology and criticized several plays in different articles, all of them within the traditional genre of satire, offering scathing censure of conduct and events. To achieve this, he used his pen and resources such as exaggeration or irony.
Romantic Poetry
Romantic poetry flourished later than any other genre and was characterized by the mixing of genres and styles. Narrative poetry unfolded, aligned with a historical interest in the medieval past. Lyrical poetry had two trends: one centered on the conflict between the individual and the world, and another, more *intimista*. It is important to emphasize the figures of two poets of the time: Espronceda and Bécquer.
Espronceda
Espronceda, author of “Canciones” (“Songs”), “El estudiante de Salamanca” (“The Student of Salamanca”), and “El diablo mundo” (“The Devil World”), incorporated different tones, rhythms, and styles, including slang and vulgar expressions, through verses with descending metrical scales.
Bécquer
Bécquer created short, intimate poems of apparent simplicity, bare of artifice. His work, “Rimas” (“Rhymes”), addresses themes of love, loneliness, anguish, death, and dreams. Among its stylistic features are the presence of the first-person “I” and appeals to the reader.