20th Century Spanish Poetry: From Civil War to Renewal
20th Century Spanish Poetry: An Overview
The Civil War and Its Aftermath
The Situation at the End of the Civil War: The Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) had a profound impact on Spanish literature, particularly poetry. Many prominent poets were affected:
- Antonio Machado died at 39, shortly after crossing the French border.
- Ramón Jiménez was in exile since the start of the war.
- Federico García Lorca was assassinated in 1936.
- Only Gerardo Diego, Vicente Aleixandre, and Dámaso Alonso remained in Spain.
- All other poets were forced into exile.
A Poet in Transition: Miguel Hernández: Miguel Hernández, a political prisoner after the war, died in prison in 1942 at the age of 32. Although much of his production is linked to the Generation of ’27, his later works have an existential tone that connects with the poetry of the war, such as Songs and Ballads of Absences.
The Poetry of Exile: Most authors agree that the poetry of exile is characterized by a conscious treatment of the issue of Spain. The focus is almost always nostalgic and often imposes a sense of anguish and despair. The tone sometimes becomes angry and even insulting to the victors. León Felipe (1884-1968) is a representative figure of this period, known for his poems about the Spanish exodus and the tears of exile.
The Poetry of the Immediate Postwar Period (1940s)
Despite the general poverty of culture during the first decade of the postwar period, poetry is perhaps the area in which there is greater diversity and artistic wealth. Dámaso Alonso distinguished two main streams:
Rooted Poetry (The Winners): This poetry is aligned with the fascist propaganda of the victors of the war. It has an optimistic view of the world, and the subject matter is usually love, religion, or scenery. The sonnet is a prevalent form. Two magazines, Escorial and Garcilaso, represent this trend. Key figures include:
- Leopoldo Panero: Written at Every Moment
- Felipe Vivanco: Continuation of Life
Uprooted Poetry (The Vanquished): In 1944, three important poets emerged who disagreed with the surrounding world and offered a vision of an anguished life and God. This marked the first signs of social and political protest. This uprooted poetry had a decisive influence on the direction of Spanish poetry during the 1950s, leading to the so-called social poetry. These poets employed an extremely emotional and dramatic tone that is better suited to free verse. Key figures include:
- Dámaso Alonso (1898-1990): Children of Wrath revolutionized the panorama of Spanish poetry with a pathetic picture of the surrounding reality.
- Vicente Aleixandre (1898-1984), who chose to stay in Spain despite threats to his life due to his republican ideals, published Shadow of Paradise in 1944. This work was instrumental in blurring the poetic image of official Spain with a great deal of distress and the development of a strong feeling of longing for the lost paradise. The magazine Espadaña became emblematic of this trend.
- Victoriano Crémer: The Sword and the Wall
- José Luis Hidalgo: The Dead
- Blas de Otero: Angel Fiercely Strengthen Human Consciousness (later merged into a single book, Ancia)
An exceptional figure of the late 1940s was Carlos Edmundo de Ory, the creator of Postismo, a movement linking with the avant-garde of the 1920s.
Social Poetry (1950s)
Social poetry developed as an evolution of uprooted poetry, reflecting a sense of shared experience and social consciousness. Social realism is dominant in this period, but always expressed within the narrow limits imposed by censorship. This poetry is characterized by:
- Simple and colloquial language
- Prevalence of free verse
- A greater concern for content over aesthetic niceties
- A certain narrative nature
- A deliberate trend toward prose, at times
Key figures include:
- Blas de Otero: I Ask for Peace and the Word
- Gabriel Celaya: Iberian Songs
- José Hierro: Story About Me
The Cántico Group (1940s): This group takes its name from the journal in which its members published their work. Their poetry moves away from the then-current trends to connect with the Generation of ’27 (particularly Cernuda and Lorca). Key figures include:
- Pablo García Baena: June
- Ricardo Molina: Elegies in Sand
The Mid-Century Generation (1950s and 1960s)
The poets of the 1960s were born between 1925 and the Civil War. They published their first works in the 1950s, many of them within the orbit of social poetry, although they also reacted against it. They returned to a certain intimacy with a characteristic ironic vision of reality and existence, but social concern did not entirely disappear. The style is more personal and literary. Key figures include:
- José Ángel Valente: Lazarus Poems
- Jaime Gil de Biedma: Posthumous Poems
- Claudio Rodríguez: Treaty of Intoxication
- José Ángel Valente: Urbanism
Poetic Renewal of the 1970s
The Novísimos: From the late 1960s, a group of young poets emerged who would lead Spanish poetry in new directions: the Generation of ’68, better known as the Novísimos, a name derived from the anthology prepared by critic José María Castellet and published in 1970 under the title Nine Newest Spanish Poets. They represent the new direction that Spanish poetry would take in this decade, turning to the avant-garde and incorporating elements of pop culture (film, comics, rock music). They tend towards a bright and sensual aestheticism reminiscent of Modernism. Key figures include:
- Pere Gimferrer: Arde el mar
- Leopoldo María Panero: It Was Founded on Carnaby Street
Alongside this trend, a poetry of classical style developed, characterized by a meditative approach and expressive restraint, with a symbolic role for nature. Key figures include:
- Antonio Colinas: Sepulchre in Tarquinia
- Jaime Siles: Canon