Valle-Inclán, Baroja, and Generation of ’27: Spanish Literature

Posted on Mar 5, 2025 in Latin

Ramón del Valle-Inclán

Born in Pontevedra, Spain, Ramón del Valle-Inclán’s family intended for him to study law. However, he abandoned his studies to pursue his literary vocation in Madrid. He was a man dedicated to literature, and his extravagant figure is notable. His thought was an image of opposition to the politics and society of his time. He opted for two routes: escape and criticism. The first was an escape or evasion to an archaic and traditional society, represented by the Carlist current, defending Catholicism and tradition. The second was criticism, evident in many of his works through the grotesque. His opposition to the policy was not only evident in his literature but also in his public activity, as expressed in the opposition movement.

The Work of Valle-Inclán: Stages

His work is extensive and covers all literary genres, including journalism. Three features stand out: expressive mastery, alienation from bourgeois life forms, and a tendency to break the molds of genres in the novel and drama.

Classification of his work:

  • Modernist Stage: Marked by evasion, with the Sonatas being the most characteristic works.
  • Intermediate Stage: Carlist War Stage.
  • Esperpento Stage: The author deals with topics of this time.

Pío Baroja: The Novelist – Characteristics

Pío Baroja’s work consists of newspaper articles, travel books, short stories, and especially novels. Its features include:

  • Disintegration of the plot into traditionally narrative frames, instead of linking situations and events.
  • Use of the feuilleton technique, suspending linearity of action.
  • A multitude of characters who appear briefly; the main characters are often antisocial, adventurers, or outcasts.
  • Extensive use of dialogue.
  • The ambiance is taken from reality, expressed with an anti-rhetorical, impressionistic technique.
  • Clear expression in style.
  • The novel as a vehicle for ideology.

Baroja’s Novels

Three major stages:

  1. From the beginning until 1904: A very brief period. The publication of the trilogy The Struggle for Life marks his personal style.
  2. 1904-1913: Central period in his creation. He raises the fundamental themes of his work and uses traits that are definitive.
  3. 1914-1936: Dedicated to the historical novel and contemporary issues. He does not evolve, repeating the same themes.

Some of his works:

  • Adventurous: Zalacaín the Adventurer, The Adventures of Shanti Andía, etc.
  • Contemporary Spanish Life: The Struggle for Life, Race, Cities.
  • Historical Theme: Memoirs of a Man of Action.

Evolution and Stages of the Poetic Group of ’27

The group initially consisted of six poets: Pedro Salinas, Jorge Guillén, Gerardo Diego, Federico García Lorca, Dámaso Alonso, and Rafael Alberti.

Their features:

  • Solid culture.
  • Elimination of sentiment and anecdote in the poem.
  • Plain language.
  • Extensive use of metaphor.
  • Varied metrics.

Stages

There are three stages: two before the Spanish Civil War, and one after.

  1. First: Dehumanization. Following Ortega y Gasset’s thesis presented in The Dehumanization of Art, the poetry is more intellectual than emotional. It clears everything anecdotal.
  2. Second: Re-humanization. It begins in 1927 and ends with the Civil War. It occurs for several reasons: political, social, and literary. Socially, there was a radicalization of positions in the country. Poetry is no longer on the sidelines of society, with the irruption of Surrealism, which was opposed to pure poetry.
  3. Third: Dispersion. It begins in 1939 when the dispersion of the poets of the group is complete, divided between those who stay in Spain (Gerardo Diego, Dámaso Alonso) and those exiled to different countries in Europe and America. Those who remained in Spain exercised their teaching.