Spanish Romanticism: Society, Culture, and Literature (1800-1850)
The Nineteenth Century (1800-1850)
Society & Culture
The transition from the eighteenth to the nineteenth century coincided with the French Revolution, whose final outcome did not appease the prevailing European sentiments.
Ferdinand VII’s absolutist policies hindered Spain’s cultural and economic development, despite the opening of the Museo del Prado and the rise of the bourgeoisie.
Romanticism
Romantic ideals originated in Germany during the last quarter of the eighteenth century.
Goethe’s work initiated this movement, which shared the ideals of “freedom, equality, and fraternity” with the French Revolution. With Romanticism, reason lost ground to feeling and subjectivity.
Romanticism rejects educational value to champion the individual and their freedom in all aspects of life, proclaiming passion and instinct as the sole principles of existence. It departs from reason and exalts personal feelings and emotions.
Romantic Man
The Romantics confronted a reality that did not offer them an easy life. Far from reason, they felt dominated by the forces of nature and destiny. Hence, the disappointment, distress, and escapism of the Romantic individual, who would journey to distant lands, bygone eras, and, in extreme cases, resort to suicide.
Romantic Themes
The most fundamental Romantic themes are freedom and love. The force of destiny, which opposes the hero, compels them to flee. The identification of the character’s emotional state with nature. The recognition of characters who reunite after a long separation. Travel to exotic worlds and times, the ultimate journey.
The defense of the individual facilitated the resurgence of the unique, leading to a revival of nationalism and distinct cultures against the homogeneity of the state.
Romantic Poetry
Poetry is the medium that best reflects the Romantic soul: love, sadness, passion… However, Romantics also wrote narrative poetry that developed medieval stories or romances.
José de Espronceda
He represents the exalted Romantic poet in Spain. He wrote plays and historical novels but is renowned for his lyrical poetry and two narrative poems.
Among his lyric poems, the best known are: Pirate Song, The Executioner… His style is emphatic and grandiose, with lyrics that prioritize sound, employing a very marked and bombastic rhythm, but effectively conveying Romantic themes.
His narrative poems are The Devil World and Student of Salamanca.
Romantic Prose
During the Romantic period, two prose genres flourished: the historical novel, typically set in the Middle Ages, and the novel of manners, closely linked to contemporary events and the development of journalism.
Mariano José de Larra
Son of a military doctor aligned with the French, he fled to Paris after the Peninsular War, where he studied. He founded the satirical newspaper “El Pobrecito Hablador”.
The Articles of Larra
His articles, reflecting the Spanish reality of the time, have traditionally been categorized by themes: literary, customs, and political. However, they share common elements: the critique of mediocrity and backwardness, his personal and independent vision, a liberal and tolerant ideology, and a European perspective.
Romantic Drama
All Romantic drama embraces freedom as its fundamental principle. Key features include:
- The unities of time, place, and action are disregarded.
- Boundaries between dramatic genres are blurred, blending tragedy and comedy, prose and verse, to create new sensations and move the audience.
- Long narratives with multiple plotlines are favored.
- Plays typically have three to five acts.
- The hero is a mysterious being, experiencing unrequited love and marked by a fate that impacts those around them.
- The central themes are absolute love, transcending good and evil, and freedom.
The Duke of Rivas
As a soldier, he fought in the Peninsular War, was sentenced to death, and fled to England. Upon his return, he dedicated himself to politics and literature. His work “Don Álvaro or the Force of Fate” became a landmark of Romantic drama.
José Zorrilla
He gained recognition in Madrid by reciting a poem at Larra’s funeral. He lived in France, where he met prominent Romantics like Alexandre Dumas. His play “Don Juan Tenorio” is the most popular Romantic drama.
Two Late Romantics: Bécquer and Rosalía
Bécquer
His poetry marks the beginning of modern poetry in Spain.
In 1868, he lost the manuscript of “Rimas” during the looting of a minister’s house and had to reconstruct it from memory.
Rimas
Bécquer’s poetry reflects two influences:
- Popular Andalusian poetry.
- German Romantic poetry.
They share these characteristics:
- Brevity and simplicity of the poems, with very musical structures.
- Subjectivism, highly personal texts.
- The absence of rhetorical flourish.
Rosalía de Castro
Rosalía’s early books demonstrated a commitment to using the Galician language, which had been marginalized as a literary language.
However, it is in “Follas novas” where Rosalía emerges as a true modern poet, expressing profound feelings that touch the human heart.
The Revival
Romanticism ignited nationalist and independence sentiments across Europe.
The “Rexurdimento” in Galicia
Romantic liberalism paved the way for the emergence of a cultural and literary movement. With the Rexurdimento, spearheaded by Rosalía de Castro and Curros Enríquez, Galician regained its status as a literary language and culture.
The “Renaixença” in Catalonia
The Catalan bourgeoisie were the first to reclaim their language and culture. Jacint Verdaguer is the quintessential Romantic figure in Catalan poetry.
The “Rebirth” in the Basque Country
The influence of Romanticism in the Basque Country fueled nationalism and oral literature.
Jose Mari Iparraguirre was a renowned Basque composer who wrote the Basque national anthem.