Spanish Literary Movements: Modernism, Generation of ’98, and ’27
Modernist Poetry
The beauty is the goal of Modernism; therefore, the lyric is the most widely used form. Metrics are renewed, as are style and themes.
Metrics and Style
There is an obsession with forms. The poet seeks the exact word, the perfect sound, refinement… wanting the poem to be perfect.
- Metric: Looking for musicality and rhythm. Ten-syllable and dodecasyllabic stanzas are used, recovering the Alexandrian. Rhyme is often acute.
- Style: High and refined. Many learned words and figures of speech
Spanish Narrative: A Journey Through Literary Styles and Trends
Spanish Narrative: 19th and 20th Centuries
Early to Mid-20th Century Realism
A third way to employ the always popular worship of nineteenth-century realism. However, existing safeguards to the task of facing reality have to look to the past. This happens with some mid-century novels by Zunzunegui or Ash Was Tree (between 1944 and 1957, his first three works), a trilogy—Ignacio Agustí—on the Catalan bourgeoisie.
The Family of Pascual Duarte (1942) by Cela, Javier Mariño (1943) by Gonzalo Torrente
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Spanish Street Theater (1970s)
In the late 1970s, a new wave of Spanish theater emerged, moving beyond traditional forms and venues. This period saw a surge in non-commercial and non-professional theater groups. The focus shifted from literary text to spectacle, with allegorical, abstract, and symbolic language. Audience interaction became a key element, transforming the spectator into a participating character.
Key Groups
- Joglars: This Catalan group, founded by a pioneer of emerging theater, developed
Spanish Modernism and the Generation of ’98: A Literary Journey
Spanish Modernism
Definition
Modernism is an artistic movement that began around 1888 and continued until 1914. More than just an aesthetic movement, it represents a shift in attitude and a distinct period style that broke away from prevailing artistic norms.
Characteristics
- Sources: Latin America, particularly Rubén Darío’s “Azul” (1880).
- Influences: French Romanticism, Parnassianism, and Symbolism.
- Themes: The pursuit of beauty, both in the external world (evocations of the past and legends) and the
Post-War Spanish Poetry: From Isolation to Innovation
Post-War Spanish Poetry: 1940-1970
After the Spanish Civil War, the nation’s political and cultural landscape was defined by international isolation and the repression of those who opposed the regime. Beginning in the 1950s, Spain gradually opened to the outside world, experiencing economic development and improved living conditions. However, political change remained elusive under the dictatorship until 1975.
Post-War Poetry: The 1940s
The war left a devastating mark on Spanish culture, resulting
Read MoreMercè Rodoreda and the Evolution of the Valencian Novel
Mercè Rodoreda: Exile and Literary Realism
Biographical Influences
Mercè Rodoreda’s (Barcelona, 1908 – Romagna Forest, 1983) literary production is deeply linked to her biography, marked by significant cultural and political events. Her work transcends modern Western literature, reflecting the contemporary experience of war and exile.
Rodoreda’s novels are cornerstones of modern Catalan literature. Like other authors of her generation, her work is profoundly shaped by the Spanish Civil War—a conflict
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