Spanish Literature: Novecentismo to the Generation of ’27
Novecentismo and Avant-Garde
Two significant literary movements emerged as reactions against Modernist art and literature.
Novecentismo (1910s)
Novecentismo characterized a group of Spanish intellectuals and writers emerging around 1910. They prioritized pure art forms and aesthetic enjoyment. Key aspects include:
- Essay: The most cultivated genre. José Ortega y Gasset is a prominent figure, known for his clear style and focus on the “dehumanization of art.”
- Novel: Moved away from sentimentality and the mere reproduction of reality. Notable authors include Gabriel Miró (*The Leper Bishop*) and Ramón Pérez de Ayala (*Tiger Juan*).
- Poetry: Sought to distance itself from Modernism. Juan Ramón Jiménez stands out, with his work evolving from the intimacy of *Sad Arias* to the “naked poetry” of *Diary of a Newlywed Poet*. This evolution reflects a focus on poetry itself.
European Avant-Garde
- Futurism: Advocated for a break with previous culture, exalting modernity, mechanics, and technology. Founded by Marinetti in Italy.
- Cubism: Claimed autonomy for the artwork. Writers sought to capture the simultaneity of reality, emphasizing *calligrammes*. Guillaume Apollinaire is a key figure.
- Surrealism: Promoted the total development of the human being, aiming to transform imagination and poetry into a higher reality, separate from moral and aesthetic constraints. André Breton is a central figure.
Avant-Garde in Spain
Developed its own movements:
- Creationism: The poet breaks with existing reality and creates a new one that makes sense in itself. Key figures include Gerardo Diego, Juan Larrea, and Vicente Huidobro.
- Ultraism: Intended to give greater importance to the image and metaphor, suppressing narrative. Notable authors include Pedro Garfias and Guillermo de Torre (*Helixes*).
Generation of ’27
The authors of the Generation of ’27 were a group that blended avant-garde elements with traces of traditional Spanish poetry. Characteristics include:
- Use of both cultured lexicon and colloquialisms.
- Balance between traditional metrics (sonnets, romances) and free verse/blank verse.
- Main themes: love, death, and destiny.
Three Stages:
- Avant-Garde: Influenced by European avant-garde movements, tending towards the ideal of “pure poetry,” removing sentimental and human elements.
- Commitment: Embraced feelings and social concerns.
- Rupture: The group separated due to the Spanish Civil War. Common themes in exile include lost paradise and Spain, often expressed through social and political commitment in poetry.
Key Authors of the Generation of ’27
- Pedro Salinas: The poet of love, exploring the union between love and all aspects of existence (*La voz a ti debida*).
- Gerardo Diego: The eclectic poet, blending tradition and renewal (*Versos humanos*).
- Federico García Lorca: The poet of frustration, mixing cultured and popular elements, inspiration, and meticulous craft (*Poet in New York*).
- Rafael Alberti: A versatile poet (*Marinero en tierra*).
- Luis Cernuda: Explored the conflict between reality and desire, solitude, and the longing for love, rejecting excessive musicality (*Where Oblivion Dwells*).