Spanish War Poetry: Trends and Key Poets (1940s-1975)
The Poetry of War (1940s-1975)
During the 1940s, many poets of the Generation of ’27, with the exception of Vicente Aleixandre, Gerardo Diego, and Dámaso Alonso, remained in exile.
New Poetic Trends in Post-War Spain
- Existential Poetry: This trend explored themes such as loneliness, distress, and the unease of war and its aftermath. Some poets sought refuge in love or religious feeling. Luis Rosales’ The House Burning (1949) is a key work. Other poets expressed their angst with protests against a God who allowed absurdity, misery, and fear to dominate daily life. Dámaso Alonso’s Sons of Wrath (1944) and Blas de Otero’s Human Fiery Angel (1951) exemplify this.
- Postismo (1945): In contrast to existential poetry, Postismo, an avant-garde movement founded by Carlos Edmundo de Ory, championed rebellion, play, and creative freedom, defining itself as an Iberian Surrealist movement.
- Cántico Group: This group, including Pablo García Baena, distanced itself from the existential and intimate style of the Generation of ’27, seeking balance and aesthetic perfection in their poetry.
The Poetry of the 1950s: Social Concerns
In the mid-1950s, a movement known as social poetry emerged. The focus shifted from individual existential problems to the expression of political protest. Poets aimed to express collective anguish in simple, direct language. Blas de Otero’s I Pray for Peace and the Word and Gabriel Celaya’s Cantos Iberians, both from 1955, are representative works. José Agustín Goytisolo and José Hierro also contributed to this trend. Vicente Aleixandre, from the Generation of ’27, emerged from his isolation and joined the social poetry movement with History of a Heart (1945-1953), becoming a mentor for new generations of Spanish poets.
The Poetry of the 1960s: Synthesis and Renewal
In the 1960s, a new generation of poets synthesized existential and social poetry. They remained committed to social reality but adopted a more ethical than political stance. They also renewed poetic language, viewing it as an end in itself, not just a means of conveying an ideological message, as was common in social poetry. Key figures include Claudio Rodríguez, Jaime Gil de Viedma, José Manuel Caballero Bonald, Ángel González, and José Ángel Valente.
The Newest Poetry (Novísimos)
In 1970, José María Castellet published the anthology Novísimos (The Newest Spanish Poets), introducing young poets born after 1939, including Pere Gimferrer and Leopoldo María Panero. Their work incorporated allusions to movies, comics, and other realities previously absent from poetry.
Other Poetic Tendencies
- Culturalism: This trend drew inspiration from the classical world, literature, and art. Guillermo Carnero and Antonio Colinas are notable figures.
- Experimental Poetry: This movement incorporated images as poetic material and emphasized the poet’s creative freedom. José Miguel Ullán and Joan Brossa are associated with this trend.
Poetry Since 1975: Diverging Paths
With the arrival of democracy, the poetic landscape diverged into two opposing trends:
- Poetry as Communication: This approach, following the path initiated by Ángel González, focused on connecting with the reader, though without the same social solidarity. It emphasized individual stories, narrative structure, and plain language. This trend, known as “poetry of experience,” had Eloy Sánchez Rosillo as a precursor. Luis García Montero is a prominent representative.