20th-Century Spanish Poetry: From Tradition to Modernity
20th-Century Spanish Poetry
Poetry of the Generation of ’27
This poetry blends tradition (Romances, Song poetry, Góngora, and Bécquer) with modernity (Avant-Garde, Juan Ramón Jiménez), replacing classical metrics. It emphasizes imagery and metaphor, creating a vibrant vocabulary. Poetry is seen as a gift enhanced by technique. Metric verse is used alongside traditional verses. Topics include avant-garde art, modern and traditional themes, humanization, love, and death.
Evolution:
- 1920s: Influence of modern and pure poetry. Dehumanization.
- 1930s: Rehumanization.
- Exile: Nostalgia for a lost and distant land. Key work: Poet in New York (Lorca).
Poetry of the 1930s
Pre-War: Rehumanization emerges, leaving behind the dehumanized modernism. This coincides with surrealism and the influence of Pablo Neruda. In some cases, this leads to a politically committed poetry aligned with specific ideologies and parties. Miguel Hernández and Alberti are key figures.
During the War: Poetry becomes propagandistic, aiming to encourage and justify the army of one’s own ideology.
Post-War: A desolate and depleted period, marked by death and exile.
- Deaths (until 1942): Lorca, Unamuno, Machado, Miguel Hernández.
- Exiles: Juan Ramón Jiménez, Salinas, Guillén, Cernuda, Alberti, León Felipe. Their poetry evolved, reflecting the political climate of their host countries, longing for their homeland, and the effects of war.
- Those who Remained: Dámaso Alonso, Gerardo Diego, and Vicente Aleixandre.
Poetry of the 1940s
Rooted Poetry:
Writers aligned with Francoist ideology, associated with magazines like Garcilaso and Escorial. Garcilaso, created by a young group, followed traditional poetry, attempting to reclaim the values of the Spanish Empire. It presents a worldview detached from reality, seeking refuge in an idealized existence focused on domesticity and family. It employs a harmonious religious tone, where God brings serenity and confidence. Classical metrics reflect a balanced spirit, returning to traditional verses and then free verse. Key poets include the Generation of ’36: Luis Rosales, Leopoldo Panero, Luis Felipe Vivanco, and Dionisio Ridruejo.
Uprooted Poetry:
Expresses anguish and despair, reflecting the world’s suffering. Found in magazines like Espadaña and Cuadernos Hispanoamericanos. It moves beyond the personal to address others, laying the foundations for social poetry. The style is colloquial and violent, reflecting a harsh reality. Traditional metrics are replaced by free verse. Dámaso Alonso’s Hijos de la ira is a key work.
Poetry of the 1950s
Influenced by the rehumanized poetry of the 1930s, particularly Alberti and Neruda. It denounces injustice and shows solidarity with the oppressed. Poetry becomes a weapon for social transformation. It addresses themes like alienation, injustice, solidarity, and the plight of Spain, moving away from intimate, religious, or existential themes. It rejects aestheticism, emphasizing social consciousness. Key themes include the denial of the people, the concept of man as brother, the lack of political impartiality, and the historical urgency of protest. Key figures include Blas de Otero and Gabriel Celaya.