Spanish Literature of the Late 19th and Early 20th Centuries: From Modernismo to the Generation of ’98
1. Society and Culture of Late 19th and Early 20th Century Spain
The year 1898 marked a significant turning point for Spain. Once a great empire, Spain still held onto some colonies outside of Europe. However, in this year, Spain and the U.S. engaged in war, resulting in a U.S. victory and Spain’s reduction to a territory similar to what it occupies today. The defeat of ’98 deeply wounded the pride of many Spaniards, as it revealed the country’s decline. Workers, laboring under harsh conditions, began to organize into unions, often with anarchist rather than socialist leanings, to fight for their labor rights. Political instability manifested not only in frequent government changes but also in political assassinations. By 1923, any semblance of democracy vanished as General Miguel Primo de Rivera, leading a coalition of trade unionists, seized power.
Spanish culture of this era reacted to the disaster of ’98 in various ways. A reformist political movement, Regenerationism, emerged, seeking to analyze and address Spain’s situation. Artists also expressed societal discontent, with the young modernists embracing Modernismo. These individuals were drawn to a bohemian lifestyle, rejecting conventional jobs and viewing art as the sole sacred element in a world dominated by materialism.
2. Literature of the Late 19th and Early 20th Centuries: Modernismo and the Generation of ’98
Modernismo:
Modernismo was a literary movement that championed art for art’s sake, aiming solely to celebrate beauty and engage the reader emotionally. It primarily manifested in poetry.
Characteristics of Modernismo:
- Escapism from everyday life and seeking refuge in classical mythology, fairy tales, and legends.
- Fascination with spiritual movements opposed to established religion (spiritualism, occultism).
- Glorification of prostitutes and other marginalized groups.
- Highly musical and evocative poetry.
- Emphasis on conveying feelings and sensations rather than arguments or ideas.
The Generation of ’98:
This group of writers derived their name from the year of the colonial disaster (1898). They used literature to critique Spain’s situation and propose new moral values. These”noventayochista” authors explored various literary genres, including poetry, novels, and essays.
Characteristics of the Generation of ’98:
- Strong interest in everyday life.
- Use of colloquial yet precise language.
- Critical examination of Spanish history and literature.
- Prioritization of message over form.
3. The Modernist Poet:
Rubén Darío:
Born in Metapa, Nicaragua, in 1867, Rubén Darío began publishing poems at the age of 13. His life was a blend of economic hardship and artistic success. His influence on Spanish poetry was profound. After an intense life, he died in León, Nicaragua, in 1926. Darío revolutionized poetry by combining elements of two French poetry movements: Parnassianism and Symbolism.
- From Parnassianism, he adopted the belief that a poem should be a perfect work of art, not aiming to provoke thoughts but rather pure emotions.
- From Symbolism, he drew the idea that a poet should not directly state feelings but instead suggest them through imagery and symbolism.
Darío introduced the French Alexandrine verse form to Spanish poetry. His three most important works are: Azul…, Prosas profanas, Cantos de vida y esperanza, and El canto errante.
Antonio Machado:
sevilla born in 1875 in his ermano greater maxado cn manuel kein know writes plays paris to ruben dario.en soria muxaxos marries a young, Leonor his early death causes him pain terrible.en 1912 he moves to baeza.en 1939 dnde dies in France abia uido as refugiado. / her most important books are solitudes 1903 is a book 1912 Castle intinista.campos abundant descriptions of the Castilian landscape and new songs about the 1924 popular Andalusian tradicon.Pio Baroja was born in San Sebastian 1872 x azkiere fame antipatico critico.anticlerical its independent character and misogynist, but nice with anarkismo comprtate not optimistic his version of being killed in 1956./es umano a great narrator in the novels often impressionistic placed in the solitude of his time or in the Sligo XIX.se grouped into trilogy and tetralogy ke developed further in a subject in the life cycle of the Basque country personajes.el Zalacain the cycle the dislocation x aventurero.el the cycle vida.el ke race belongs to the tree of science. AZORIN: born in amonovar in 1874.destaca as a journalist and critic died in Madrid in lieteario descriptions and 1967./predominan evocation of the past • will autobiographical works, antonio azorin.confesiones a philosopher pkño • works on Spanish literature in castile and apart from the classics. Valle:villaneva born in Arosa in 1866 but leans studies derexo x idiologia bohemian life changed his Carlist cn years to comunismo.muere in Santiago de Compostela in successfully 1936./practico narrative drama and stage modernist poetry • sonata of primeravera Summer Sonata Autumn Sonata and his poetry collection in invierno.en key enlanza lyrics Galician folk beliefs with the lamp ocultismo.su wonderful book. • noventayochista stage evolves from a very critical evolution of reality form española.crea esperpentato.luces theatrical novel the bohemian 1924.