20th Century Spanish Literature: From Modernism to the Generation of ’27
20th Century Spanish Literature Before the War
Novecento – Generation of 1914
Characteristics:
- Group of writers emerging after Modernism, the Generation of ’98, and the Avant-Garde movements, but without a strong group identity.
- Characterized by intellectual depth and rigorous thinking.
- Addressed the problems of Spain from a broader European perspective.
- Concerned with form and aesthetics; viewed art as a game.
Essay:
Written in a refined style, often specialized to convey complex thoughts. Publications like the Revista de Occidente played a key role.
- José Ortega y Gasset: España Invertebrada analyzes the decline of Spain. La Deshumanización del Arte discusses avant-garde art. La Rebelión de las Masas is his best-known sociological essay. El Tema de Nuestro Tiempo explores the idea of vital reason.
- Eugenio D’Ors: Invented the glosa, a short essayistic form. Tres Horas en el Museo del Prado is a notable example.
- Gregorio Marañón: Offered interpretations of history and literary myths, such as in Don Juan.
- Other Notable Essayists: Américo Castro, etc.
Novel:
Characterized by intellectual approaches and a high level of artistic perfection.
- Ramón Pérez de Ayala: Intellectual novelist who experimented with new techniques. A.M.D.G. (initials for Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam) is a famous, anti-clerical novel based on his bitter childhood experiences. Tigre Juan is a parody of Don Juan.
- Gabriel Miró: Novels with less action and more emphasis on sensory impressions. Nuestro Padre San Daniel and El Obispo Leproso explore his childhood in a boarding school. El Libro de Sigüenza is a novel of childhood memories.
- Ramón Gómez de la Serna: Avant-garde writer who experimented with humor and the absurd. His works blend imagination and a sense of the grotesque. Invented greguerías, metaphorical phrases with humorous twists. El Torero Caracho offers a humorous look at bullfighting. El Secreto del Acueducto explores the bitterness of love and old age.
Modernism (Poetry)
A broad cultural movement seeking to renew all aspects of art and ideology from the 19th century. In art, it sought refinement in decoration and fantasy in form. Literary Modernism originated in Latin America around 1880, with authors dissatisfied with Spanish tradition and everyday reality. Rubén Darío was the main promoter of this movement (e.g., his poem Azul).
Characteristics:
- Two main tendencies: escapist and intimate, art for art’s sake, and formal perfection.
- Two types of literature: (1) focused on creating beauty and formal qualities, (2) with a practical purpose.
- Emphasis on sensory language, visual and sound symbolism.
- Use of Alexandrine (14 syllables) and dodecasyllabic (12 syllables) verse forms, along with variations of classical stanzas and free verse.
- Rich vocabulary seeking to recreate the beauty of words.
Authors:
- Rubén Darío: Azul launched Modernism and became a model for other poets. Cantos de Vida y Esperanza is considered his masterpiece.
- Manuel Machado: Alma, Caprichos
- Salvador Rueda: La Musa
- Francisco Villaespesa: Intimidades
- Eduardo Marquina: Églogas
- Ramón del Valle-Inclán: Sonatas
- Juan Ramón Jiménez: Explored various Modernist trends.
Generation of ’27
The Avant-Garde:
Europe:
- Futurism: Dehumanization of art.
- Dadaism: Aimed to liberate the imagination and used automatic writing.
- Expressionism: Sought to reflect the most miserable aspects of society.
- Cubism: Used the calligram (visual poetry).
- Surrealism: Attempted to liberate subconscious impulses, using collage.
Spain:
- Creationism: Poetry doesn’t imitate reality but creates it; juxtaposition of images (Vicente Huidobro).
- Ultraism: Promoted mechanization and sports; poetry without rhyme, punctuation, or traditional connections (Guillermo de la Torre).
Traits and Characteristics:
- Born within a span of 11 years (1891-1902).
- All had university educations.
- Brought together by their connections to the Residencia de Estudiantes (student residence) and personal ties.
- Participated in the tribute to Luis de Góngora in Seville in 1927, a foundational event for the Generation.
- Held liberal and progressive political views.
- Their ideological guides were Juan Ramón Jiménez (pure poetry) and José Ortega y Gasset (European perspective on society).
- Placed great importance on language and the use of metaphor; appreciated the aesthetic value of literature.
- From a literary point of view, they synthesized tradition and modernization.
Stages:
- 1922-1928: A stage of searching for pure poetry, inspired by Juan Ramón Jiménez and Luis de Góngora. Poetry aimed to stir emotions and intellect in a difficult and closed era.
- 1928-1936: Surrealist poetry emerged, accepting dreamlike elements but rejecting automatic writing. They recovered themes of human conflict and criticized the external world.
- Post-Civil War: The Generation dispersed as some members died, others went into exile, and the rest followed their own paths.
Authors:
- Pedro Salinas: La Voz a Ti Debida, Razón de Amor (love poetry)
- Jorge Guillén: Cántico, Clamor
- Gerardo Diego: Imagen, Espuma, Manual de Espumas
- Dámaso Alonso: Hijos de la Ira, Hombre y Dios
- Vicente Aleixandre: La Destrucción o el Amor, Sombra del Paraíso
- Federico García Lorca: Poema del Cante Jondo, Romancero Gitano, Poeta en Nueva York
- Rafael Alberti: Marinero en Tierra, Sobre los Ángeles
- Luis Cernuda: La Realidad y el Deseo