The Literary Avant-Garde and Novecentismo in Spain
1. Introduction: The Rise of New Artistic Movements
Following World War I, European youth sought to define and create a new order. In Spain, this led to the emergence of two significant literary movements: Novecentismo and the Avant-Garde.
2. Novecentismo
Definition: Novecentismo, also known as the Generation of 1914, refers to a group of authors who reached their peak during this period. They were characterized by a solid intellectual foundation.
3. Stages of Novecentismo
- Initial Stage: First decade of the 20th century.
- Mature Stage: From 1914 onwards.
- Coexistence with the Avant-Garde: 1920s.
- Twilight Stage: From 1930 onwards.
4. General Characteristics of Novecentismo
- Political reformism within the bourgeois framework.
- Concern for Spain (similar to the Generation of 1898), but with a rigorous and objective approach to finding solutions.
- Rational and orderly analysis of problems.
- Focus on a cultured and intellectual minority.
- Openness to new ideas while addressing Spain’s problems.
- Reaction against the 19th century through three artistic mechanisms: composition, derivation, and revitalization of the original and etymological meaning of words.
- Use of neologisms, cultisms, technicalities, and revitalized vulgarisms.
5. Prose in Novecentismo
A. Essays – José Ortega y Gasset
Ortega y Gasset’s essays can be divided into three groups:
- Philosophical: Philosophy should focus on human life. “I am myself and my circumstance.”
- Political and sociological: Exploring the causes of Spain’s decline and proposing solutions. The main cause is identified as social “disintegration” produced by national indiscipline, individual indiscipline, and class indiscipline. The solution proposed is a democracy led by a cultured minority.
- Artistic and literary: Developing the idea of dehumanized art (art should be pure, eliminating human feelings), exploring the role of metaphor and humor in art (art should be understood as a game and an intellectual exercise), and providing an overview of novel ideas (emphasizing description and atmosphere over action).
B. Novels
Two main trends emerged in Novecentist novels:
- Continuation of previous models (realism).
- Renewal of realism, moving away from Modernism and the Generation of 1898.
Several types of novels emerged within Novecentismo:
- Lyrical Novels (e.g., Gabriel Miró): Character-driven, with elaborate prose that minimizes action. Focus on description and the author’s emotional response to the subject matter.
- Intellectual Novels (e.g., Ramón Pérez de Ayala): Characters and action are less important than symbols and ideas. Abundant reflections and use of multiple perspectives and narrative simultaneity.
- Humorous Novels (e.g., Wenceslao Fernández Flórez): Humor is used to criticize society, often employing black humor and intellectual critique.
- Dehumanized Novels (e.g., Benjamín Jarnés): Complex and intellectually challenging novels with minimal plot. The absence of a strong plot encourages reflection and meditation. Circular structure and perspectivism are common features.
6. Poetry in Novecentismo – Juan Ramón Jiménez
A. General Characteristics and Poetic Theory
Juan Ramón Jiménez dedicated his life to poetry and the pursuit of beauty. His poetry is characterized by:
- Minority appeal, density, and difficulty.
- Constant creative evolution (pure poetry).
- Poetry as a triple desire: beauty, knowledge, and eternity.
B. Stages of Juan Ramón Jiménez’s Poetry
Jiménez’s poetry underwent a continuous process of creation and change, with several distinct phases:
- Sensitive Stage: Early poems show influences from other poets and themes of loneliness, sadness, and melancholy. Modernist influences are evident in the predominance of adjectives (e.g., Arias Tristes).
- Intellectual Stage: A radical shift occurs, rejecting Modernist aesthetics and superficial emotions. Poems become more conceptual and concise, with free verse and prose poems. The city becomes a recurring poetic scene. The main theme is the creative process itself (e.g., Diario de un poeta recién casado, Eternidades).
- Sufficient Stage: Poetry becomes increasingly difficult, with a focus on complex content and symbolism. Themes include God as an artistic concept (e.g., Dios deseado y deseante, Animal de fondo).
The Avant-Garde in Spain
1. Introduction: A Reaction to the Post-War World
World War I created a sense of disillusionment among young Europeans. In response to this context, the Avant-Garde movements emerged.
The Avant-Garde in Spain can be divided into two developmental stages:
- The 1920s: A period of optimism and confidence.
- The 1930s: Increasing involvement in social and political struggles.
2. Characteristics of Avant-Garde Art
- Rejection of traditional art based on imitation of reality.
- Preference for the exceptional and unusual, disseminated through manifestos and magazines.
- Anti-realism and emphasis on the autonomy of art.
- Elimination of anecdote and sentimentality.
- Irrationalism and the cult of the image.
- Emphasis on originality and experimentation.
- Abolition of punctuation and use of free verse.
3. European Avant-Garde Movements
- Futurism (Filippo Tommaso Marinetti): Proclaimed in the Manifesto of Futurism, it embraced anti-romanticism and celebrated technology, film, and sports. It sought a complete break with tradition.
- Cubism (Guillaume Apollinaire, Pablo Picasso): Decomposed reality into geometric shapes, offering a new way of observing the world.
- Expressionism: Explored themes of anxiety and fear through intense and violent imagery and distortions.
- Dada (Tristan Tzara): A movement of total negation and incoherent rebellion against established norms.
- Surrealism (André Breton): Influenced by Freud, Surrealism sought to explore the subconscious and the world beyond the senses.
4. The Avant-Garde in Spain
In the early 20th century, the development of the Avant-Garde in Spain was marked by several factors:
- Ramón Gómez de la Serna’s translation of the Futurist Manifesto, published in the journal Prometeo, influenced the choice of themes by some Spanish writers.
- Vicente Huidobro’s emphasis on Creationism.
- Publication of Breton’s Surrealist Manifesto, promoted by Juan Larrea.
4.1. Ultraism and Creationism
- Ultraism: Rejected poetry that reflected reality and advocated for the suspension of narrative and emotional elements. They sought to break with logical symbolism.
- Creationism: Aimed to create a reality within the poem itself, granting the poet divine power. Two fundamental resources were used: the juxtaposition of images without regard for their real-world connections and the creation of rhythm through typographical arrangement.
5. Ramón Gómez de la Serna
Through the magazine Prometeo, Ramón Gómez de la Serna exerted a significant influence on the Avant-Garde movements in Spain. His individualism led him to create his own “ism”: Ramonism. He was a prolific writer who cultivated various genres, including short stories and novels. His most notable contribution was the creation of “greguerías” (humorous metaphors).
Greguerías are short texts that offer surprising and illogical associations based on everyday objects or situations. They express a fragmented view of reality. Techniques used to convey this vision include:
- Metaphors and comparisons.
- Pseudo-etymologies, paronomasias, and puns.
- Automatization of idioms and sayings.