Spanish Literature: Modernism to Generation of ’27
Modernism and the Generation of ’98
Intimate feelings, melancholy, and evocative themes characterize Modernist aesthetics. The formal aspects are also crucial. In Campos de Castilla, there is more simplicity. This work collects the Generation of ’98’s reflections on national identity and descriptions of the Castilian landscape. Other poems reflect the loss of Leonor.
Ramón María del Valle-Inclán (1866-1936)
Born in Pontevedra, his ideological trajectory shifted from conservatism to Republicanism. Notable works include Sonatas and Tirano Banderas.
Spanish Theater Renovation in the 20th Century
Theater: Modernist aesthetics are evident in Comedies Bárbaras. Esperpento, a style that deforms reality, animalizes characters, and personifies animals and objects, is seen in works like Divinas Palabras and Bohemian Lights. Valle-Inclán uses lyrical language mixed with vulgar expressions to denounce social and political reality.
European Literary Renewal: Avant-garde
Avant-garde: A joint movement that rejected traditional artistic forms, supporting experimentation with new themes and forms of expression. Key movements include:
- Creationism: Hispanic. Aims to create reality within the work itself, often using language games.
- Surrealism: French. Expresses thoughts and emotions subconsciously, often through automatic writing (writing ideas as they come to mind, without logical relation).
Novecentismo: The Generation of ’14
The second decade of the 20th century saw a group of writers characterized by intellectualism, a search for Europeanist pure art, and a desire for renewal. This group is known as the Generation of ’14. Juan Ramón Jiménez is a key figure.
The Novecentista Novel
Two characteristic traits are lyrical descriptive passages and the presence of non-fiction elements. It emphasizes reflection and the portrayal of characters and their environments. Notable authors include Gabriel Miró (Bishop Leproso and Our Father, Saint Daniel), Ramón Pérez de Ayala (Belarmino and Apolonio and Tiger Juan), and Ramón Gómez de la Serna, who introduced the avant-garde to Spain and created the “greguerías” (a combination of humor and metaphor).
“The one who is returning from a walk.”
The Novecentista Essay
José Ortega y Gasset (1883-1963) summarized his ideas on the new literature in The Dehumanization of Art. He greatly influenced the authors of the Generation of ’27. Ortega defended originality, lack of sentiment, anti-realism, and the predominance of the image.
The Generation of ’27
Authors of this generation had a solid intellectual formation and admired the poetry and ideas of Juan Ramón Jiménez and Ortega y Gasset. Their poetry imitated models but incorporated new elements, blending modernism and tradition. Key figures include:
- Federico García Lorca
- Rafael Alberti
- Luis Cernuda: Explored the struggle between personal desire and social conventions in works like Reality and Desire.
- Pedro Salinas: Emphasized human relationships and love in works like The Voice Due to You and Reason for Love.
- Jorge Guillén
- Dámaso Alonso: Focused on teaching and research. Hijos de la Ira reflects the anguish of the first post-war period.
- Gerardo Diego: Introduced the avant-garde to Spain and was a leading representative of Creationism. Notable works include Manual de Espumas (1924) and traditional poetry.
- Vicente Aleixandre: Embraced Surrealism in works like Destruction or Love. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1977. In his second stage, the relationship between man and nature became important, as seen in Shadow of Paradise.
Initially, there was a tendency towards intellectual poetry.
Thematic and Formal Elements
- Exaltation of technique and progress
- Special typographical arrangement of verses
- Image and metaphor are essential to the poem
- Free verse
Rafael Alberti (1902-1999)
Notable works include Marinero en Tierra, which is part of the neopopularist current that defends the use of forms from popular Spanish poetry. Themes include nostalgia.