Spanish Literature from Romanticism to the 20th Century
Romantic Poets
Bécquer
Bécquer’s poetical works opened doors to intimacy, purity, sensitivity, and authenticity, straying from the typical Romantic lyricism inspired by German and Andalusian folk songs. His Rhymes are intense and emotional, striving for formal perfection through poetic simplicity. This evocative poetry is born of feeling, mixed with fantasy. His prose, particularly the Legends, expresses intimate emotions through fantastical stories.
Larra
Larra holds a significant place in Spanish literature, known for his journalistic articles written in a direct and engaging style. His articles are classified as customs, political, and literary. His style remains relevant, and he is considered a pioneer of contemporary Spanish prose. He also wrote historical novels and Romantic dramas.
Realist and Naturalist Novel
Realism reflects social reality with accuracy, focusing on the external world, particularly the bourgeoisie. The novel became the genre of choice. Naturalism, an intense form of realism, incorporates a deterministic view, often depicting sordid environments. The novelists of the 1868 generation tested new narrative forms, drawing inspiration from the realist tradition and European realist novels. Many writers, like Galdós, showed liberal sympathies, while others like Pereda and Alarcón defended conservative ideas. Spanish realist narrative often had a regionalist focus. Naturalism arrived with strong support from Emilia Pardo Bazán.
The Twentieth Century
Modernism
Modernism, a literary movement born in Latin America with figures like Rubén Darío, arose from a desire to depart from Spanish rule. Seeking their own identity, Hispanic Americans looked to indigenous cultures and the beauty of literature. Modernism drew inspiration from various sources:
- Parnassianism: Chromaticism, formal perfection.
- Symbolism: Musicality and the use of symbols.
- Romanticism: Particularly Bécquer and Rosalía de Castro.
- French Poetry: Parnassianism and Symbolism.
- American Modernism: Especially Rubén Darío.
Two types of modernism emerged:
- Evasive Modernism: Focused on luxury and beauty.
- Intimate Modernism: Existentialist, expressing concern for existence.
Themes:
- Rejection and uprooting.
- Existential concerns.
Style:
Modernism brought profound stylistic renewal, using unusual lines and stanzas. Sensory language, musicality, chromaticism, and plasticity were achieved through various techniques:
- Phonic resources: alliteration, anaphora, parallelism.
- Enriched lexicon with learned words and neologisms.
- Suggestive symbols and synaesthesia.
Genres: Lyric and prose poetry.
Spanish Modernist Writers:
- Antonio Machado – Solitudes
- Juan Ramón Jiménez – Arias Tristes
- Ramón María del Valle-Inclán – Sonatas
Rubén Darío: Introduced modernism to Spain. Works include Azul and Profane Prose (evasive modernism), and Songs of Life and Hope (intimate modernism).
Generation of ’98
The Generation of ’98, initially anarchists, used literature to critique Spanish social reality. Key figures include Azorín, Baroja, Maeztu, Unamuno, Machado, and Valle-Inclán.
Characteristics of a Literary Generation:
- Similar age.
- Similar intellectual formation.
- Personal relationships.
- A recognized leader (Unamuno).
- A generational event.
- Common stylistic features: simplicity, traditional language, subjectivity.
Themes:
- Spain: Focus on Spanish values, particularly those of Castile.
- History of Spain: Interest in both official history and everyday life.
- Europeanization: Desire for European influence while also embracing Spanish values.
- Existential problems: Expression of anguish.
- Religious problem: Agnosticism and doubt.
Literary Genres
:
The lyric is one in which the writer expresses his subjectivity, feelings or thoughts. It is in 1st person, is more intimate and often expressed in verse. There’s the original cult (skit, song, epistle) i the popular (Carol).
Narrative: The writer recounts events external to himself, creates a fictional world in live k characters and some events occur. All this is narrated as something external to the author. Is the gender of the 3rd person, shares of him or her. Epica (epic, epic Cantard) i tale novel.
Theater: aims to stage performance before an audience. Combines literary features (text) and characteristic elements of the show, since it requires scenery, actors, etc.. The theater is expressed primarily through the dialogue. I comedy drama tragedy.