Spanish Poetry: 1940s-1970s – Post-War to Social Engagement
Spanish Poetry from 1940 to the 1970s
At the end of the war, the outlook was bleak for culture. The year 1939 is considered a turning point for poetry in Spain. There was a division in culture: firstly, those in exile, and secondly, those who remained in Spain and were aligned with the ideology and aesthetics of the victors. This resulted in ‘rooted’ poetry (aligned with the regime) and ‘uprooted’ poetry (from those in exile).
The Poetry of the War: The Forties
This period shows a variety of poetic trends:
- The poetry of Miguel Hernandez: Initially, the poet addressed issues like life, love, and death. During the war, he focused on patriotic and military themes. After the war, he wrote simple poems about jail and anguish over the fate of his wife and son.
- Rooted poetry: Journals like Garcilaso and Escorial defended a classical style of poetry. Some of their songs were nostalgic for the days of the Spanish empire, amorous affairs, or religious themes.
- Uprooted poetry: The review Espadaña argued for a direct and less rhetorical poetry, committed to human beings.
- Some marginal journals were inspired by pre-war poetry.
- In 1944, two books of great importance were published: Shadows of Paradise by Vicente Aleixandre, an exaltation of nature, and Hijos de la Ira by Damaso Alonso, reflecting the existential malaise of the time.
Social Poetry of the Fifties
Social concerns became important in poetry, intended to show the true reality of man and the country, very different from the official version. Poetry served as a means to change society and improve it, denouncing injustice, social inequalities, and lack of political freedoms. Key features included:
- The subject matter was the basis on which the poem was built. The aim was to denounce economic hardship and alienation from work, or encourage worker solidarity and revolutionary struggle. Concern for Spain and the Civil War were predominant themes.
- The intended audience was the vast majority. Poetry should be directed to as many people as possible.
- It used straightforward, colloquial, or conversational language, often prosaic. Major poets included Blas de Otero, Gabriel Celaya, and José Hierro.
The Promotion of the Sixties
In the mid-fifties, a new group of poets emerged, returning to a concern for the artistic nature of poetry.
- The most important poets included González, Goytisolo, Gil de Viedma, and Valente. They were united by being children of the war and having lived through its hardest stages. The influence of social poets and Antonio Machado is evident. Many of these writers fought the Franco regime from positions close to communist policies.
- Their concept of poetry changed: the objective was no longer communication, but poetry conceived as a means of knowledge of reality and personal experiences.
- The topics leaned toward the intimate and the recreation of individual experience. Themes such as friendship, love, or work, in short, the everyday aspects of personal and intimate life, were explored.
- Treatment of language: the colloquial tone rises to a level of artistry, avoiding exalted speech and prose.
Notable titles include: Treaty of Urban by Angel Gonzalez, Posthumous Poems by Gil de Viedma, and Memory Signs by Valente.