Spanish Generation of ’27: Poets, Trends, and Influences
Historical Context of the Generation of ’27
In the early decades of the 20th century in Spain, significant social and political unrest, combined with unpopular wars in Africa, led Alfonso XIII to support a coup d’état. This dictatorship, however, failed to solve the country’s problems, leading to the rejection of the monarchy and the establishment of the Second Republic. The Republic, which began in 1931 and lasted until 1936, saw the election victory of the Popular Front, a coalition of left-wing parties. Some members of the army and right-wing politicians rebelled against the election results, initiating the Spanish Civil War. General Francisco Franco won the war and established a dictatorship, characterized by strong repression against supporters of the Republic.
The Generation of ’27: An Introduction
The Generation of ’27 was a group of friends with shared interests, primarily known as a generation of poets, including figures like Federico García Lorca and Rafael Alberti. It also included essayists like María Zambrano and José Bergamín, and novelists like Francisco Ayala. The Generation of ’27 is characterized by its members’ search for a balance between tradition and originality, and between popular and high-culture poetry. The poets of ’27 appreciated both classical perfection and the simplicity of popular romances. It was a generation that embraced innovation but did not reject its heritage.
Trends within the Generation of ’27
- Neopopularism: This trend focused on the metrics and style of popular poetry from the oral tradition. Examples include Rafael Alberti’s Marinero en Tierra, characterized by octosyllabic assonance, rhyme, parallelism, and refrains.
- Modernism: This included the influence of Creationism and Surrealism. Gerardo Diego is a notable figure in Creationism, while Surrealism is evident in Lorca’s work, featuring broken syntax, the elimination of punctuation, and irrational imagery.
- Pure Poetry: Inaugurated by Jorge Guillén with his book Cántico, this trend followed in the footsteps of Juan Ramón Jiménez’s later work. It focused on the present, excluding melancholy or despair.
Stages of the Generation of ’27
- Initiation: The period when the poets of ’27 published their first books.
- Maturity: The group’s peak, with the publication of two very important books in 1928.
- Disaggregation: The Spanish Civil War scattered the group. Lorca was assassinated in Granada, and other poets went into exile.
Key Themes of the Generation of ’27
- Love: A passionate vision that highlights the blend of pleasure and pain.
- Fullness: Jorge Guillén expressed this as the moment when the world’s beauty is fully realized, capturing the harmony of nature.
- Death: A theme not accepted by any of the poets of the Generation of ’27.
The Avant-Garde Movements
The Avant-garde movements represented a break with Modernism and tradition.
- Futurism: Established by the Italian Futurist Marinetti in his manifesto, this movement was characterized by the exaltation of progress and mechanics, and a free language without syntactic ties or punctuation.
- Dadaism: Created by Tristan Tzara during the First World War, Dadaism was a violent rejection of the logic that had led to the absurdity of war.
- Surrealism: Born in France and led by André Breton, Surrealism emphasized human creative freedom. Artists were encouraged to release themselves from the laws of reason, practicing automatic writing.
- Creationism: Named by Vicente Huidobro in 1916.
- Expressionism: Originating in Germany in 1910, Expressionism defended marginalized individuals and highlighted ugliness.
- Ultraism: A movement of Spanish-language writers, most active between 1922 and 1927.