Spanish Literature from Romanticism to the Civil War and Beyond

Posted on Sep 24, 2024 in Latin

Spanish Literature: A Journey Through Time

Romanticism (First Half of the 19th Century)

Romanticism, a dominant artistic movement across Europe, did not emerge simultaneously in all countries. In Spain, it championed the creative power of the spirit, emphasizing imagination, feeling, and passion.

Key Features of Spanish Romanticism:

  • Rejection of reality and escapism through imagination.
  • Exploration of inner thoughts and emotions.
  • Emphasis on the importance of landscapes and natural settings.
  • Celebration of popular and national elements.
  • Creative freedom in technique and structure.

Romantic Theater

Romantic drama broke the mandatory rules of neoclassical theater.

Features of Romantic Theater:

  • Rejection of neoclassical norms.
  • Structure organized in 3, 4, or 5 acts.
  • Popularity of historical drama.
  • Heroic protagonists (men and women) whose love remains unfulfilled.
  • Central theme of love.

Realism

Realism focused on the accurate observation of contemporary reality, leading to the rise of the realistic novel.

Characteristics of Realistic Novels:

  • Objective observation.
  • Contemporary settings.
  • Psychological analysis of characters.
  • Omniscient narrator.
  • Natural language.
  • Use of newspapers as a means of dissemination.

Novelists of Realism:

  • Juan Antonio de Alarcón
  • José María Valera
  • Pedro de Bazán
  • Vicente Blasco Ibáñez
  • Leopoldo Alas “Clarín” (Notable work: La Regenta)

Spanish Poetry of the 20th Century

Modernism (Late 19th Century)

This literary movement emerged in the last quarter of the 19th century, characterized by two main trends: escapism and intimacy.

Style and Language of Modernism:

  • Musicality of verse aligned with themes.
  • Rich and innovative lexicon.
  • Abundant use of rhetorical devices.
  • Use of traditional and Alexandrine verses.

Modernist Poets:

  • Rubén Darío
  • Antonio Machado
  • Juan Ramón Jiménez

The Generation of ’98

This movement arose in response to the consequences of Spain’s decline. Its focus was on the regeneration of the country through spiritual and intellectual renewal.

Key Features of the Generation of ’98:

  • Concern for Spain’s future.
  • Emphasis on Spanish landscapes, history, and literature.
  • Existential concerns and reflections on the meaning of life.

Authors of the Generation of ’98:

  • Miguel de Unamuno
  • José Martínez Ruiz “Azorín”
  • Pío Baroja
  • Ramón del Valle-Inclán

Generation of ’27

This group, influenced by European avant-garde movements, is named after the year they paid tribute to Luis de Góngora.

Key Feature of the Generation of ’27:

  • Integration of tradition with modern renewal movements.
  • Admiration for classical Spanish poetry.
  • Interest in contemporary poetry.
  • Use of both metrical forms and free verse.
  • Combination of folk and intellectual poetry.

Spanish Theater (1900-1936)

During this period, audiences favored bourgeois comedies and folkloric works with witty and humorous dialogue.

The Plays of Ramón del Valle-Inclán

Valle-Inclán created a unique genre known as the “esperpento,” exemplified by his play Bohemian Lights.

Characteristics of Esperpento:

  • Grotesque characters.
  • Caricature and deformation.
  • Use of different language registers.
  • Formal complexity.

The Plays of Federico García Lorca

Lorca’s plays often explore the clash between individual desires and societal authority. His characters, driven by love and longing for freedom, face conflicts with moral and social norms.

Lorca’s Rural Trilogy:

  • Blood Wedding (1932)
  • Yerma (1934)
  • The House of Bernarda Alba (1936)

Poetry Since the Civil War

  • 1940s Poetry: Rooted poetry and desarraigada (uprooted) poetry.
  • 1950s Poetry: Social poetry.
  • 1960s Poetry: Poetry of experience.
  • 1970s Poetry: Focus on cultural issues and identity.

The Novel Since the Civil War

The Spanish Civil War brought radical changes to literature and cultural life.

Novel of the 1940s

Two novels emerged with a critical vision of reality:

  • The Family of Pascual Duarte (1942) by Camilo José Cela
  • Nada (1945) by Carmen Laforet

Social Novel of the 1950s

The predominant social novel aimed to criticize and denounce social injustices.

Characteristics of the Social Novel:

  • Disappearance of the narrator in favor of objective representation.
  • Focus on actions and dialogue rather than psychological analysis of characters.
  • Collective protagonist instead of a single character.
  • Use of colloquial language.
  • Simple and easily understandable style.

Novel of the 1960s

This period saw a continuation of critical reflection on Spanish society.

Features of the Novel of the 1960s:

  • Shifting narrative perspectives.
  • Parody of narrative genres.
  • Use of collages.
  • Conflicting characters.

Theater Since the Civil War

Theater of the 1940s

The Spanish theater scene faced a bleak outlook after the war, with theaters dominated by escapist performances like bourgeois comedies and surreal humor.

Theater of Protest from the 1950s

A significant development was the emergence of plays like Story of a Staircase, which dealt with existential problems and relatable characters.

Reworking of Theater in the 1960s

This period saw a renewal movement aligned with European trends like the Theater of the Absurd. Independent theater groups like Els Joglars gained prominence.

General Characteristics of this Theater:

  • Collective creation.
  • Experimental texts.
  • Breaking of stage conventions.