The Generation of ’27: A Poetic Peak in Spain
During the 1920s, a group of poets, including Federico García Lorca, came of age, marking a high point in Spanish poetry. Their shared poetic interests and close relationships led to them being considered a collective.
Naming the Group
This group of poets has been referred to by several names. The term Generation of the Dictatorship, which they ideologically opposed, is inaccurate. Generation of the Revista de Occidente is more fitting, as the magazine published some of their work and reflected the influence of its director, Ortega y Gasset. Grandchildren of ’98 is another possible descriptor. Cernuda called them the Generation of 1925, representing the average publication date of their first books. However, the name that has endured is the Group of ’27, commemorating the third anniversary of Góngora’s death, celebrated at the Ateneo de Sevilla where many of these poets gathered.
Their close friendships and the publication of their early works predate this event. Shared experiences, such as living at the Residencia de Estudiantes in Madrid, participating in its cultural events, researching at the Center for Historical Studies, and publishing in journals like Revista de Occidente, La Gaceta Literaria, and Litoral, further solidified their bond. They shared an open, liberal, and progressive mindset, evident in their broad knowledge and eagerness to explore both Spanish and foreign literature. This intellectual curiosity is reflected in their poetry, essays, literary criticism, and translations. Politically, they sided with the Republic, which led to Lorca’s death and the exile of others during the Franco dictatorship (except Dámaso Alonso and Vicente Aleixandre).
Tradition and Avant-Garde
The poetry of the Generation of ’27 blends the lyrical simplicity of folk poetry with the complexity of the avant-garde. It represents not a break from the past, but rather an integration of modern poetry’s demands.
They admired Spanish classics like Jorge Manrique, Garcilaso, San Juan de la Cruz, Góngora, Quevedo, and Lope de Vega, as well as popular lyrical songs, particularly Lorca and Alberti. The nineteenth-century poet Bécquer influenced the neo-Romanticism of Cernuda, Alberti, and Salinas. The artistry of Rubén Darío served as a reference point for their aesthetic pursuits. Juan Ramón Jiménez, with his total dedication to poetry and pursuit of perfection in a pure style, was a significant influence, especially in the group’s early stages. For these poets, as for their mentor, beauty was paramount. Ramón Gómez de la Serna’s innovative imagery, along with Ortega y Gasset’s The Dehumanization of Art and certain isms (Futurism, Creationism, and Surrealism), also left a mark.
By combining these traditional and modern strands, the poets of ’27 achieved an admirable and complex balance.
Literary Career
a) First Stage: Until 1927
This stage reveals Becquerian tones with traces of Modernism. The influence of the early avant-garde and Juan Ramón Jiménez’s pure poetry is evident. Pure metaphor, learned from Ramón Gómez de la Serna and other avant-garde figures, became a key tool. This led to accusations of being “constrained,” “cold,” and “dehumanized,” echoing Ortega y Gasset’s The Dehumanization of Art.
The pursuit of formal perfection prompted a return to the classics and traditional stanza forms (between 1925 and 1927), as seen in books like Alberti’s Marinero en Tierra.
b) Second Stage: From 1927 to the Civil War
Having reached maturity, their poetry underwent a “re-humanization.” The emergence of Surrealism, in contrast to pure poetry, brought human conflict and social critique to the forefront. Perennial human feelings—love, longing, frustration, existential concerns—became prominent themes.
Neruda’s Madrid-based magazine, Caballo Verde para la Poesía, introduced social and political themes into their work. Alberti, Cernuda, and Prados embraced revolutionary activism, while others supported the Republic when the war broke out.
c) Third Stage: After the War
With the Civil War’s end and Lorca’s death in 1936, the group dispersed. All but Aleixandre, Gerardo Diego, and Dámaso Alonso went into exile. Their poetry shifted towards humanism and existential anguish, reflecting human and social problems. The language simplified, with forms like the romance stanza gaining prominence. Titles from this period include Hijos de la Ira, Llanto, and Sombra del Paraíso.