Spanish Literature of the 20th Century: From Avant-Garde to Generation of ’27
1. Society and Culture in the Early Decades of the 20th Century
In the early decades of the 20th century, we encountered new ways of thought and expression, mainly due to various events and circumstances. New scientific theories brought a new vision of life, including Einstein’s theory of relativity. The First World War (1914-1918) caused a profound crisis affecting all of Europe. Although Spain did not participate directly, it experienced significant changes, such as the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera (1923-1930) and the establishment of the Second Republic (1931). However, in 1936, the Spanish Civil War abruptly interrupted the Republic’s progress.
2. Avant-Garde Literature
Art is a form of expression that seeks to break the formal and aesthetic mold of previous artistic trends. The avant-garde refers to artistic movements aimed at radically breaking with all previous aesthetic canons, seeking to provoke or stimulate reflection in the viewer or reader. The most important avant-garde currents were:
- Futurism: Published by the Italian poet Marinetti in 1909. Favorite topics include technological advances, the urban world, and machines.
- Cubism: Primarily impacted the fine arts but was also reflected in literature through calligrams: poems whose verses take forms related to their content. Guillaume Apollinaire was a prominent figure in this movement.
- Dadaism: Started in 1916, with Tristan Tzara’s Dada Manifesto published in 1918. Its objectives were provocation and rebellion. Dadaism was the most radical avant-garde movement but was short-lived.
- Creationism: Initiated by the poet Vicente Huidobro in 1918.
3. The Avant-Garde in Spain
Noucentists or the Generation of 14: A group of writers influenced by the Generation of ’98. They laid the foundations for the artistic renewal that would occur in Spain in the 1920s. Authors of the Generation of 14 include Gabriel Miró, Ramón Pérez de Ayala, José Ortega y Gasset, and Ramón Gómez de la Serna.
Ramón Gómez de la Serna was a significant figure in introducing the avant-garde to Spain. He invented the literary genre of the greguería.
Greguerías are short sentences using metaphors or puns, often with a humorous, critical, or curious tone.
Ultraism: A Spanish avant-garde movement that combined characteristics of various European movements. Guillermo de la Torre (1900-1971) was a key promoter of this trend.
Surrealism: Aimed to liberate the artist’s unconscious, allowing thoughts and emotions to flow freely without repression. It emerged in the mid-1920s. Its founder was the Frenchman André Breton.
4. The Generation of ’27
Eight authors are typically highlighted within this group: Gerardo Diego, Jorge Guillén, Dámaso Alonso, Pedro Salinas, Federico García Lorca, Rafael Alberti, Luis Cernuda, and Vicente Aleixandre.
Features of the Poetry of ’27:
- Mix of tradition and avant-garde: They recovered elements of traditional lyricism, including romance, canción, and verse forms, while also incorporating avant-garde techniques. They were influenced by classical poets like Garcilaso, Bécquer, and Góngora.
- Influence of pure poetry: These artists admired the Noucentists, especially Juan Ramón Jiménez.
The Trajectory of the Group:
Three stages can be differentiated:
- The 1920s: Works are characterized by the influence of pure poetry and avant-garde features, particularly the poetry of Góngora.
- The 1930s: Differences in styles and interests emerge among the authors, but they share a decreased interest in pure poetry and increased attention to social and political issues. Lorca, Alberti, Cernuda, and Aleixandre embraced Surrealism.
- Post-Civil War: The group ceased to exist as such. Those who remained in Spain wrote under the repression of the dictatorship, facing a drastically different social and political situation.
Jorge Guillén (1893-1984):
Born in Valladolid. He was a Spanish reader at Oxford, lived in Paris, and taught in the U.S. during his exile, where he resided until Franco’s death. He received the Cervantes Prize in 1977.
Three stages in his poetic evolution:
- Cántico: An optimistic book, a hymn to life, with a vision of the universe as a harmonious and beautiful whole.
- Clamor: Expresses a concern for society, portraying it as unjust, violent, and destructive of the harmony of nature.
- Homenaje: A synthesis of the previous stages, offering an idyllic vision that is less naive but more hopeful than Cántico.
Dámaso Alonso (1898-1990):
Born in Madrid. He dedicated most of his life to criticism and philology. He taught at several universities, belonged to the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE), and received prestigious awards, including the National Prize for Literature.
His first poetry book was Pure Poetry. Hijos de la ira (Children of Wrath), written after the Civil War, is one of his best-known works.
The Poets of Surrealist Influence and Neopopularism:
Neopopularism: A trend that rescues popular elements of the oral tradition and introduces them into modern poetry.
Federico García Lorca (1898-1936):
Born in Fuente Vaqueros (Granada). He spent his youth in a residence in Madrid where he met prominent artists. He studied literature and law. In 1929, he traveled to New York. Back in Spain, he founded the theater group La Barraca. He was a charismatic and brilliant author. The Francoist authorities arrested him in August 1936, and he was executed a few days later in Granada.
Among his most important books are Romancero Gitano (Gypsy Ballads) and Poema del Cante Jondo (Poem of Deep Song). He also wrote Surrealist works like Poeta en Nueva York (Poet in New York). His best-known plays are Bodas de Sangre (Blood Wedding), Yerma, and La Casa de Bernarda Alba (The House of Bernarda Alba).
Rafael Alberti (1902-1999):
Born in Puerto de Santa María. He dedicated himself to painting and literature. He won the National Prize for Literature in 1925. Affiliated with the Communist Party since 1931, he defended democratic and republican values during the Civil War. He lived in exile and did not return until 1977. His first book, Marinero en Tierra (Sailor Ashore), is one of his most important works.
Luis Cernuda (1902-1963):
Born in Seville. He lived in exile since 1938, teaching in England, the U.S., and Mexico. He died without returning to Spain. He was marginalized due to his homosexuality.
Two main features of his poetry:
- The presence of a central theme: the clash between the feeling of love, a source of freedom for the poet, and the limitations imposed by society.
- The influence of Romanticism: the theme of frustration with societal constraints, the passionate and rebellious tone of his poems, and his use of free verse.
His books include La Realidad y el Deseo (Reality and Desire), Los Placeres Prohibidos (Forbidden Pleasures), and Donde Habite el Olvido (Where Oblivion Dwells).
Vicente Aleixandre (1898-1984):
Born in Seville. He spent part of his life suffering from a severe illness that kept him bedridden. He remained in Spain during the Franco dictatorship, defending the values of freedom and justice. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1977.
His books include La Destrucción o el Amor (Destruction or Love) and Historia del Corazón (History of the Heart), his most important work.