20th Century Spanish Literature: Poetry and Theater
20th Century Spanish Literature: Poetry and Theater
Poetry
Post-Civil War Poetry
After the Spanish Civil War, many poets were exiled. They criticized the new political situation and expressed nostalgia and intimacy in their works.
Exiled Poets
León Felipe
His poems are almost prose-like and reflect the cry of a man outside his homeland. He used Spanish literary characters like Don Quixote and Celestina. Example: Call me a Republican.
Juan Gil Albert
His work is full of commitment and vitality and is imbued with ethical and human values. Example: The Metaphysics.
Poetry in Spain Until the 1950s
After the Civil War, a new order was imposed in Spain. This situation was accepted and reflected in poetry that defended tradition. This period is characterized by two main poetic trends: Rooted Poetry and Uprooted Poetry.
Rooted Poetry
This style tends towards tradition in style and versification, avoiding the sadness of the moment. It saw a revival of the sonnet form.
References: 16th Century Songbooks, Lorca, and Alberti.
Language: Serene, classic, and distant.
Themes: Country, God, religion, national issues…
Rooted poets shared common publications like the magazines El Escorial and Garcilaso.
Authors: José García Nieto, Luis Rosales (The House On), J.M. Pemán, Dionisio Ridruejo (Sonnets to the Stone).
Uprooted Poetry
This style prefers free verse and the long poem (in contrast to the traditional sonnet).
Reference: Poetry of the Generation of ’27 and César Vallejo (Trilce).
Themes: Existentialism, history, and personal concerns.
Magazine: Espadaña.
Authors: Dámaso Alonso (Children of Wrath), Antonio González Lama, Vicente Aleixandre…
Uprooted poetry led to Social Poetry (1950s):
Social poetry is simple and committed, motivated by the situation in the country, and denounces human suffering. It is addressed to the masses.
Notable authors include Gabriel Celaya with Cantos Ibéricos and Blas de Otero with a very expressive and sonorous poetry. He wrote Ancia which explores the search for God and Pido la paz y la palabra addressed to the vast majority.
José Hierro has a dense and careful style. He explored themes of love, memory, and poetry. Works: The Notebook and I Know New York.
Exile Poetry
Characterized by pure poetry and avant-garde with free verse.
Poets enriched and were enriched wherever they went.
Theme: Longing for Spain.
Poetry from the 1960s Onwards
Generation of ’50 / Promotion of ’60
Critical poetry arising in the late 1950s.
Less dramatic tone than Social Poetry and a more careful language.
Occasional use of humor and irony.
Poetry understood as both communication and personal experience (subjectivism). Evokes childhood.
Authors:
Jaime Gil de Biedma: Ironic and sincere. Example: Posthumous Poems.
Ángel González: Intensifies criticism, but also gives way to his ego. Example: Harsh World.
Carlos Barral.
Francisco Brines: Master of everyday language, deals with love and time. Example: Still Not.
Antonio Gamoneda: Not included in this generation but is contemporary. Example: Age.
Claudio Rodríguez: Shows emotion for land and landscape, deals with love, truth-seeking, solidarity… Example: Don de la ebriedad and Casi una leyenda.
Félix Grande.
The Novísimos (1970s)
Incorporates knowledge related to the media.
Taste for camp (old-fashioned) and pop mythology of cinema, sports…
Poetry has value in itself.
Authors:
Pere Gimferrer: Aesthetician and surrealist poet who writes in both Catalan and Spanish. Example: Arde el mar and La llum.
Guillermo Carnero: Writes Drawing of Death.
Antonio Colinas: Neo-romantic author of Astrolabe.
Luis Alberto de Cuenca: Composed Another Dream.
Female Poetry
It is important to highlight the work of women poets from 1940 to 1970:
Ernestina de Champourcin: Evolves from a modernist stance and published En silencio.
Carmen Conde (1st woman in the Royal Spanish Academy): Uses themes such as love and Surrealism. Example: Mujer sin Edén.
Gloria Fuertes: Practices a gentle poetry that uses straightforward language to show social commitment. Example: Que estás en la tierra and Historia de Gloria.
Clara Janés: Touches on topics such as existence, being, feeling, passion, and love from a vivid expression. Example: Eros and Vivir.
Theater
The 1940s
Valle-Inclán, Unamuno, and Lorca had died, and with them, the characteristic wit of their comedies.
Bourgeois Theater
Due to the difficult situation, theater was used as a distraction and escape: A theater that catered to the public.
Not very innovative and conditioned by censorship.
Themes: Infidelity, rebellious children…
Authors:
Joaquín Calvo Sotelo: Blends wit and humor with a moral and ideological background. Example: Una muchachita de Valladolid and La muralla.
Jaime Salom: Brings some innovation to the theater with entertainment as its purpose and is capable of causing intrigue.
Gonzalo Torrente Ballester.
José María Pemán.
Humorous Theater
This variety has its origin in censorship, which encourages the development of irony.
Authors:
Enrique Jardiel Poncela: Practices a smart and ironic humor that presents implausible elements. Often used humorous speech. Example: Eloísa está debajo de un almendro.
Miguel Mihura: Also uses absurd and illogical elements.
In the beginning, his plays had a critical intention and reflection, but his style evolved towards a more conventional theater.
Example: Tres sombreros de copa (written in 1936, released in 1952) contains avant-garde postulates.
Exile Theater
Represents the innovative theater of the time, following the legacy of Alberti and Lorca.
Sometimes controversial.
Authors:
Alejandro Casona: Through careful and poetic language, presents a dramatic universe full of sentiment and poetry. In his later works, he emphasized a didactic intent. Example: Prohibido suicidarse en primavera and Los árboles mueren de pie.
José Ricardo Morales: Shows concern for people and uses absurd humor. Example: La vida imposible.
Max Aub: A truly innovative author in terms of form and themes. Example: Espejo de avaricia.
The 1950s and 1960s: Critical Theater
Demonstrates a commitment to social ethics and corresponds to Social Realism.
Aims to show the situation of Spanish society.
Uses avant-garde elements.
Increased public demand.
Legend of censorship.
Authors are distinguished by their belief in the possibility (represented by Buero Vallejo or Alfonso Paso) or impossibility (represented by Alfonso Sastre) of change.
Authors:
Alfonso Sastre: A maverick and committed author who appreciates irony and critique. Example: Escuadra hacia la muerte, influenced by French existentialism, and La taberna fantástica.
Lauro Olmo: Wrote La camisa, which meditates on the need for emigration.
José Martín Recuerda.
Carlos Muñiz: Wrote El tintero.
Alfonso Paso: Creator of works with inconsequential themes.
Antonio Buero Vallejo: Defends human dignity, freedom, justice, truth… and uses a multitude of characters with physical limitations. Sometimes uses a tragic sense.
Follows the classic standards of theater and uses scenic resources such as expressive dramatic language, varied scenic effects (light, darkness…), and detailed stage directions.
Works of literary criticism (Historia de una escalera – Lope de Vega Award), symbolic (El tragaluz), and historical (Las Meninas – about Velázquez).
The 1960s: Experimental Theater
Aims to overcome Social Realism and embrace avant-garde and experimental techniques.
Tends towards spectacle, sometimes forgetting the literary aspects.
Authors:
Antonio Gala: Cultivated plays (Los verdes campos del Edén and Petra Regalada), essays, poetry, and novels (La pasión turca).
Themes: Didactic and moralizing. Shows concern for humanity. Sets his works in contemporary or historical/mythical pasts.
Uses exquisite, careful, and precious language.
Fernando Arrabal: One of the creators of the Panic Movement, which combines avant-garde features, absurdity, and humor.
Themes: Religious, erotic, political…
Example: Cementerio de automóviles.
Francisco Nieva: Develops a critical theater far from traditional rules.
Themes: Eroticism and religion.
Works: ANGRY THEATER: La batalla de reinas and Tasia * THEATER OF FARCE AND CALAMITY: Malditas sean Coronada y sus hijas * THEATER OF CHRONICLE AND IMPRESSION: Sombra y quimera de Larra.
Luis Riaza: Wrote El palacio de los monos.
José Sanchis Sinisterra: Created ¡Ay, Carmela!.
José Luis Alonso de Santos: Wrote Bajarse al moro.
Paloma Pedrero: Devised La llamada de Lauren.
Independent Theater
Critical theater that emerges as an alternative to commercial theater. Example: Els Joglars.
Seeks a renovation of theater through new techniques and formulas.
Conceived as a performance in which the actor is free: sing, dance, play an instrument…