20th Century Spanish Lyric: Movements and Poets
20th Century Spanish Lyric
1. Currents of Thought in the Second Half of the 20th Century
In the latter half of the 20th century, Marxism and the Frankfurt School continued to influence many writers. Existentialism, with thinkers like Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus, explored the absurdity of existence and the perceived failure of humanism. In the early 1980s, postmodern thought (Vattimo and Lyotard) emerged, challenging the rationalist and progressive ideals of preceding decades.
This period also saw the rise of the feminist, ecological, and sexual liberation movements. Structuralism gained prominence as a research method.
2. Miguel Hernández
Though chronologically part of the Generation of ’36, Miguel Hernández’s work aligns closely with the Generation of ’27. His first book, Perito en Lunas (1933), reflects his youthful apprenticeship, influenced by Góngora, Bécquer, Darío, Gabriel Miró, and Juan Ramón Jiménez.
El Silbo Vulnerado represents his journey to maturity, where he finds his voice rooted in a profound connection with nature. El Rayo que no Cesa (1936) marks his full maturity, featuring notable sonnets and the elegy “Elegía a Ramón Sijé,” considered one of the finest elegies in the Spanish language. This book explores his major themes: love, life and death, and nature. Influences of San Juan de la Cruz, Quevedo, Neo-Romanticism, and Surrealism are evident.
Viento del Pueblo (1937), subtitled “Poetry in the War,” expresses his love for Spain and solidarity with the common people, leading him to defend his voice. Direct and immediate expressions of suffering, fear, hatred, and the brutality of war dominate this work.
His final work, Cancionero y romancero de ausencias, published posthumously, comprises poems written between 1938 and 1939. It reveals a connection with the cosmos through direct language and a transparent world. The sadness of absence pervades the verses, symbolized by the recurring motif of the onion.
3. The Generation of ’36
This group of poets includes Luis Rosales, Juan Gil-Albert, and Leopoldo Panero. In 1935, Luis Rosales published a call for a new approach to poetry and life, emphasizing unadorned language and the poetic image over the avant-garde.
They prioritized human experience over ideology, leading to the treatment of religious themes. Their focus on intimate and civil war subjects resulted in two opposing poetic tendencies: poesía arraigada (rooted poetry) and poesía desarraigada (uprooted poetry).
3.1. Poets in Exile
Juan Gil-Albert combined the beauty of reflective and serene poetry with a commitment to the Republic during the Civil War. His notable works include Las ilusiones (1936) and Fuentes de la constancia (1972).
Germán Bleiberg’s works include El canto de la noche (1935) and Primavera compartida (1948).
4. The 1940s
4.1. Poesía Arraigada
In the mid-1940s, a group of poets distanced themselves from the official culture, exalting the poetry of the 16th century through the influence of Escorial and magazines like Garcilaso. They advocated for “pure poetry,” characterized by classical forms like the sonnet and an avoidance of contemporary reality.
Luis Rosales is a key figure in this movement. His work La casa encendida is a lengthy narrative poem exploring daily life with transparent language and a conversational lexicon, incorporating some surrealist imagery.
Leopoldo Panero’s poetry focuses on themes of land, family, and religion, as seen in La estancia vacía (1944).
Dionisio Ridruejo addresses everyday issues and biographical aspects in his works like Sonetos a la piedra (1943) and Elegías (1948).
Luis Felipe Vivanco’s Continuación de la vida (1948) and José García Nieto’s Tú y yo sobre la tierra (1944) and Circunstancia de la muerte (1963) are also representative of this movement.
4.2. Poesía Desarraigada
This movement, represented by poets like Dámaso Alonso, rejected harmony and serenity in favor of social protest. It emerged in 1944 with the publication of Alonso’s Hijos de la ira and Vicente Aleixandre’s Sombra del paraíso.
This poetry is characterized by free verse, angry expression, a focus on humanization, and a rejection of Garcilaso‘s formalism. It employed realistic language, close to prose, and addressed the silenced and marginalized. Existential angst and an interest in the surrounding world are prominent themes.
Key figures include Victoriano Cremer, Eugenio de Nora, José Luis Hidalgo, Ramón de Garciasol, Carlos Bousoño, José María Valverde, Rafael Morales, Leopoldo de Luis, and Ángela Figuera.
5. Postismo and the Cántico Group
In the 1940s, Postismo and the Cántico group emerged as alternatives to the official poetry. In the magazine Postismo, poets like Carlos Edmundo de Ory, Eduardo Chicharro, and Silvano Sernesi championed the avant-garde, particularly Surrealism.
The Cántico magazine, centered around Pablo García Baena, Ricardo Molina, and Juan Bernier, aimed to reconnect with the Generation of ’27. Their poetry emphasized culturalism, formal refinement, precise language, baroque expression, sensuality, and hedonism.
6. Social Poetry
A new wave of poets viewed poetry as a tool for social and political engagement, focusing on social and historical realities with a language accessible to the masses. This movement, known as social realism, can be divided into two groups: the poets of the 1940s (Gabriel Celaya, Blas de Otero, and José Hierro) and the mid-century group.
6.1. Gabriel Celaya
Celaya’s early works, like Las cosas como son (1949), had a personal focus, dealing with the historical reality of postwar Spain. His later works, such as Paz y concierto (1953) and Cantos iberos (1955), reflect his political commitment and social critique. He famously declared, “Poetry is a weapon loaded with the future.”
6.2. Blas de Otero
Otero’s early poetry explored existential and religious themes of dissatisfaction, death, God, and love. Ángel fieramente humano (1950) and Redoble de conciencia (1951) exemplify this phase. Pido la paz y la palabra (1955) marks a shift towards social and ethical concerns, influenced by Marxist ideology. Collective identity and Spain emerge as central themes, expressed in simple yet powerful language.
6.3. José Hierro
Hierro’s poetry is characterized by its testimonial quality, reflecting personal experiences and observations of society. His language is objective, employing narration, dialogue, and colloquialisms. Notable works include Tierra sin nosotros (1947), Con las piedras, con el viento (1950), Quinta del 42 (1952), and Cuaderno de Nueva York (1950).
7. Mid-Century Generation
In the mid-1950s, a new generation of social poets emerged, often referred to as the “Generation of the 50s” or the “poetic promotion of the 50s.” They drew inspiration from Antonio Machado, Vicente Aleixandre, Pablo Neruda, and César Vallejo.
This generation can be divided into two phases: the 1950s and the 1960s. Barcelona and Madrid were centers of activity. Art, politics, and ethics converged in their social poetry.