The Novecentismo and Generation of ’27: A Literary Journey Through 20th-Century Spain

Posted on Sep 23, 2024 in Latin

1. The Novecentismo (Generation of 1914)

The Novecentismo, also known as the Generation of 1914, was a group of intellectuals who emerged in the early 20th century in Spain. They occupied a space between the Modernists, the Generation of ’98, and the avant-garde movements. These writers, including Ramón Pérez de Ayala, José Ortega y Gasset, Eugenio D’Ors, Gabriel Miró, and Ramón Gómez de la Serna, became prominent around 1914 but didn’t necessarily identify as a unified group.

1.1 General Characteristics of the Novecentismo

  1. Strong Intellectual Background: These writers possessed a deep and rigorous intellectual foundation, which was reflected in their thought and literary creations.
  2. Engagement with Spain’s Issues: While concerned about Spain’s problems (like the Generation of ’98), they approached them with more serenity and a broader, more universal perspective.
  3. Emphasis on Craftsmanship: They valued well-crafted and thoughtful works, paying close attention to aesthetics and formal precision in their writing.
  4. Art as a Pure Game: They viewed art as a form of play, potentially detached from the concerns of everyday life.
  5. Focus on an Educated Minority: Their writing was often aimed at a sophisticated and educated audience.
  6. The Essay as a Dominant Genre: The essay became a favored form of expression for the Novecentistas.

1.2 Two Prominent Essayists

1.2.1 José Ortega y Gasset

José Ortega y Gasset was a leading intellectual figure of 20th-century Spain. He founded the influential journal Revista de Occidente in 1923, which promoted the dissemination of important philosophical and scientific ideas of the time. Ortega y Gasset’s writing style was distinctive—lucid, engaging, and possessing great literary merit. He skillfully employed metaphors and irony when appropriate. His notable works include The Revolt of the Masses and The Dehumanization of Art.

  • The Revolt of the Masses: In this work, Ortega y Gasset argued that society should be guided by an elite minority, with the masses following their lead.
  • The Dehumanization of Art: This book, whose ideas significantly influenced the Spanish avant-garde, advocated for art to be valued for its own sake, pursuing aesthetic pleasure and moving away from sentimental or emotional elements.
1.2.2 Ramón Gómez de la Serna

Ramón Gómez de la Serna is best known for his greguerías—short, witty phrases that offer metaphorical interpretations of reality through ingenious wordplay. His narrative style was avant-garde.

2. The Avant-Garde

Between the two World Wars, Europe witnessed a surge of aesthetic revolution and artistic transgression through various avant-garde movements.

  • Futurism: Led by the Italian Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, Futurism called for a break with the past’s aesthetics and themes, celebrating technology, speed, and the machine age.
  • Dadaism: Dadaism, whose name was randomly chosen from the French word for “hobbyhorse” (dada), emerged thanks to Tristan Tzara. Its ideas, which paved the way for Surrealism, championed fantasy, irrationality, and the rejection of logic and coherence.
  • Creationism: In Creationism, poets aimed not to imitate reality but to create new realities within their poems.
  • Ultraism: Ultraism drew influences from Futurism and Dadaism, sometimes employing visual poetry with unconventional verse arrangements.
  • Cubism: Primarily impacting painting, Cubism also influenced literature.

Surrealism: The most significant avant-garde movement in literature was Surrealism. Originating in France with André Breton’s manifesto, it gained immense importance in cinema, painting, and poetry. Surrealism sought to liberate human life by delving beyond the surface of reality and exploring the unconscious mind. To express repressed impulses and the depths of the human psyche, Surrealist writers often used techniques like automatic writing. This aimed to tap into the “superreal” by employing a free and authentic language, leading to unusual lexical associations, irrationality, and dreamlike imagery.

3. The Generation of ’27

In 1927, a gathering at the Ateneo de Sevilla commemorated the 300th anniversary of Luis de Góngora’s death. This event brought together a group of authors who admired Góngora’s poetic language. The year 1927 became associated with this group, known as the Generation of ’27. Many of them were university professors and maintained close relationships, often collaborating in literary magazines like La Gaceta Literaria, Revista de Occidente, and Litoral. Prominent poets of the Generation of ’27 included Federico García Lorca, Vicente Aleixandre, Jorge Guillén, Gerardo Diego, Pedro Salinas, Dámaso Alonso, Luis Cernuda, Rafael Alberti, Emilio Prados, and Manuel Altolaguirre.

3.1 Characteristics of the Generation of ’27

  1. Elaborate Language: These poets employed a sophisticated and refined language in their works.
  2. “Pure” Poetry: They sought to create “pure” poetry, emphasizing intellectualism and avoiding excessive sentimentality.
  3. Emphasis on Beauty and Poetic Play: They valued beauty, poetic experimentation, and the skillful use of metaphors and other literary devices.
  4. Use of Irrational and Visionary Images: Their poetry often featured a rich tapestry of irrational and visionary imagery.
  5. Blending of Avant-Garde and Tradition: Alongside avant-garde influences, they maintained a connection to Spain’s lyrical tradition, employing traditional forms like the sonnet and romance alongside free verse. They were also influenced by classical Spanish poets like Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer and Juan Ramón Jiménez.
  6. Controlled Surrealism: Their engagement with Surrealism was not purely automatic; their verses rarely lacked human connection.

3.2 Notable Poets of the Generation of ’27

3.2.1 Luis Cernuda

Luis Cernuda’s poetry is characterized by a profound sense of sadness and a feeling of dissent against the injustices and social prejudices of his time. His complete poetic works are collected under the evocative title Reality and Desire.

3.2.2 Jorge Guillén

Jorge Guillén is known for his “pure” and intellectual poetry. In his work, he condensed his emotions and feelings, drawing from his experiences and thoughts. His collected poems, unified thematically and poetically, are titled Cántico: A Hymn to Creation.

3.2.3 Vicente Aleixandre

Vicente Aleixandre was a poet with a vast and profound lyrical range. He is considered one of the most intense and insightful poets of the Generation of ’27.

  • Surrealist Stage: Works like Destruction or Love and Shadow of Paradise showcase his engagement with Surrealism.
  • Later Stage: In his later works, such as History of the Heart, he adopted a more accessible language and presented a more serene and optimistic vision of humanity and love.
3.2.4 Gerardo Diego

Gerardo Diego, who shared the National Literature Prize with Rafael Alberti in 1925 and received the Cervantes Prize in 1979, was a member of the Royal Spanish Academy. He cultivated a diverse poetic style, ranging from Creationism to traditional and classical forms.

  • Avant-Garde Poetry: Manual de Espumas (Manual of Foams)
  • Traditional Poetry: Romances de la novia (Ballads of the Bride)
3.2.5 Dámaso Alonso

Dámaso Alonso was a renowned university professor and director of the Royal Spanish Academy. He was awarded the Cervantes Prize in 1978. His poetry holds immense significance in 20th-century Spanish literature.

  • Hijos de la ira (Children of Wrath): This powerful collection exemplifies “desarraigada” (rootless) and deeply humanized poetry. Alonso employed free verse and an intense, fragmented language to express his rebellion, anguish, and pain in a world filled with horror, misery, injustice, death, and the existential struggles of human existence.