Spanish Literature: From Modernism to Noucentisme

Posted on Sep 19, 2024 in Latin

Poetry: Juan Ramón Jiménez

Overview

Among the poetry of Modernism, the Generation of ’98, and the Generation of ’27, several interesting yet secondary figures emerge. These include José Moreno Villa and, notably, León Felipe with his colloquial and emotionally charged poetry.

However, the poetry of these years is dominated by the work of Juan Ramón Jiménez (1881-1958, Nobel Prize in 1956). It’s challenging to categorize him within a specific movement, but from 1915 onward, he transcends Modernist influences and embraces the concept of intellectual art characteristic of Noucentisme.

Defining distinct stages in Juan Ramón Jiménez’s poetry is complex due to his extensive writing, frequent revisions, and reorganizations. Nevertheless, three major periods are generally recognized:

  1. Sensitive Period (Modernist poetry) until around 1915.
  2. Intellectual Period (Naked poetry) until 1936, when he leaves Spain.
  3. Final Period (True poetry): corresponds to his exile in America until his death in 1958.

Sensitive Period

Within this initial period, three stages can be identified:

  1. Juvenile Poetry: Heavily influenced by the then-dominant Modernism, exhibiting its hallmark features (sensory language, abundant adjectives, long lines, etc.). Books from this period (e.g., Souls of Violet and Nymphs, both from 1900) were not well-received by critics, and Juan Ramón later disowned them.
  2. Simple, Contained Poetry: Characterized by moderate Modernism, with a prevalence of intimate themes and a melancholic tone. This phase spans from 1903 to 1907, with books like Arias Tristes and Jardines Lejanos.
  3. Return to Modernist Techniques: Marked by the use of color, sound, adjectives, metaphors, Alexandrine verses, etc. However, Juan Ramón Jiménez now employs these techniques with a more personal touch. His poetry retains an intimate tone, focusing on nostalgic contemplation of nature and sentimental confession. This stage, between 1908 and 1915, includes works like Elejías, La Soledad Sonora, and Espiritual Soledad. Platero and I (1914), a book of poetic prose for children, also belongs to this period.

Intellectual Period

In 1916, Juan Ramón Jiménez departs from Modernism with the work he wrote during his honeymoon in New York: Diary of a Newlywed Poet (later retitled Journal of Poet and Sea). In this book, Modernist language, vivid adjectives, and rhythmic effects disappear. Instead, short, bare verses without rhyme emerge, where the abstract and essential clearly prevail over the anecdotal and descriptive.

Other works from this period include Eternidades (1918), Piedra y Cielo (1919), and Poesía (1936). As the titles suggest, Juan Ramón’s poetry strives to penetrate the deeper reality of things beyond their sensory appearance and to attain eternity by overcoming temporality.

Final Period

Juan Ramón Jiménez’s production during this period is compiled in the posthumously published volume Animal de Fondo. It includes two key books:

  • En el Otro Costado (1936-1942): Features the long and complex prose poem Espacio, built upon free association and a disordered stream of memories, impressions, and reflections.
  • Dios Deseado y Deseante (1948-1952): A collection of mystical poems where the vision of God deviates from traditional Christian conceptions and is instead identified with Nature, Beauty, and even the poet’s own creative consciousness.

Noucentisme

General Features

By 1914, shifts become apparent in Spanish cultural life. Developments occur in criticism and essays, with figures like José Ortega y Gasset and Eugenio D’Ors playing significant roles. The novel also sees interesting advancements, including works by authors such as Gabriel Miró and Ramón Pérez de Ayala. New trends emerge in poetry, holding particular significance given the changes in Juan Ramón Jiménez’s poetic evolution.

These writers don’t constitute a homogenous literary group but are part of a new intellectual environment known as Noucentisme (or the Generation of ’14). Its main characteristics are:

  • Emergence of a New Intellectual: In contrast to the bohemian and self-educated attitude of Modernism and the Generation of ’98, Noucentisme features intellectuals with solid academic backgrounds, often from foreign universities. They seek a serene and objective examination of problems. The irrationalism and angst of the Generation of ’98 are replaced by clarity and rationality.
  • Reaction Against 19th-Century Values: Noucentisme perceives Modernism and the Generation of ’98 as extensions of the 19th century. Anti-romantic pronouncements and admiration for classicism abound.
  • European Focus: Noucentisme embraces universal values and avoids nationalistic limitations. It disregards certain traditional values and shows greater interest in the city than the countryside.
  • Continued Concern for Spain: The “problem of Spain” remains present in their works, but with a more rigorous and less personal approach than in the Generation of ’98. They seek practical ways to influence society and advocate for change through those in power. They emphasize the importance of well-prepared minorities, an elite to lead society.

The Essay

The essay held significant importance. Authors who excelled in this genre include Eugenio D’Ors, Gregorio Marañón, Manuel Azaña, Américo Castro, and others. However, the most influential was José Ortega y Gasset.

Ortega was a prolific philosopher, journalist, and editor of newspapers and magazines. He also participated in politics and was exiled from Spain at the start of the Civil War, returning in 1945.

Ortega explored diverse topics in his numerous essays, collected in works like The Spectator, Meditations on Quixote, The Revolt of the Masses, and others. Two of his works had a particular impact on the art and literature of his time: Meditations on the Novel and, especially, The Dehumanization of Art. In the latter, he analyzes the art of his time, highlighting the following characteristics:

  • Pure Art: Art should be evaluated not for its human content but for its formal qualities.
  • Dehumanization: Art tends to distance itself from reality and suppress human emotions.
  • Intellectual Art: Art is not based on feelings but on intellect. Aesthetic pleasure should be an intellectual pleasure. Consequently, it becomes a difficult, minority, and unpopular art, dividing the public into those who understand and those who don’t.
  • Anti-Romantic Poetry: The poet doesn’t aim to be a spiritual guide for others but simply a poet, a verbal operator. Ortega defines the poetry of his time as the “higher algebra of metaphors.”
  • Art as a Game: Art becomes a game that doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s a trivial art characterized by irony.