Evolution and Characteristics of the Generation of ’27

Posted on Sep 29, 2024 in Latin

Poetic Path of the Generation of ’27: Stages of its Evolution

Stage 1: To 1928: Purism and the Vanguard

This initial stage is marked by a fusion of avant-garde and popular styles, blending innovation with tradition. Early influences include Bécquer and the early avant-garde movements of Ultraism and Creationism.

The defining characteristic of this “pure” art is the metaphor, though it’s used with restraint to avoid dehumanization. The influence of classical forms, particularly the Gongorine style, is also evident.

In essence, the poetic language of this stage is characterized by its dehumanized and unemotional nature. It strives for formal perfection and a certain mystique, facilitated by the use of visionary imagery.

Stage 2: From 1928 to the Civil War: Humanizing Poetry

This stage witnesses a rehumanization of poetry, coinciding with the emergence of Surrealism, a movement radically opposed to “pure poetry.” A new era of transcendent, human, and passionate poetry begins, shedding the constraints of the avant-garde.

Stage 3: After the Civil War: Commitment, Uprooting, Exile

The Spanish Civil War tragically disintegrates the group, with each member taking a different path. Exile becomes a common theme, as seen in the works of Guillén and Cernuda, who embark on new poetic cycles focused on human suffering. In Spain, poetry drifts towards an anguished humanism and existential tone, exemplified by the works of Vicente Aleixandre.

General Features of the Generation of ’27

The Generation of ’27 exhibits several key characteristics:

  1. Influence of Modernism: Particularly Ultraism of the 1920s, with its intellectual, anti-Romantic, and optimistic style, emphasis on pure poetry, and focus on image and metaphor.
  2. Influence of Surrealism: Its emphasis on rehumanization and liberation.
  3. Influence of Ortega y Gasset’s Noucentisme: Promoting dehumanized and intellectual art.
  4. Influence of Gongora: A minority art form with a specialized poetic language.
  5. Importance of Metaphor: A fundamental tool of pure art.
  6. Cultivation of Popular Lyrics: Through the lens of classical forms.
  7. Thirst for Formal Perfection: Rigorous attention to poetic form.
  8. Predominant Themes:
    • The urban landscape
    • Nature and love
    • Social and political commitment
  9. General Trend of Balance and Synthesis:
    • Balancing the intellectual and the sentimental
    • Balancing spontaneity and technique
    • Balancing purism and humanization
    • Balancing the cultured and the popular
    • Balancing the Spanish and the universal
    • Balancing modernity and tradition

Historical, Cultural, and Literary Context

By the 1920s, the Generation of ’98 had become the acknowledged masters of Spanish literature. However, the Generation of ’27, born around the turn of the century, did not share the same disillusionment with Spain’s colonial past. World War I also deeply impacted these young intellectuals.

The intellectual climate of Europe and Spain in the 1920s was marked by the intellectualism and purism of the avant-garde movements. This period also witnessed significant historical events, including the rise of communism and fascism, and the weakening of European democracies. The Roaring Twenties eventually gave way to the darkness of the Great Depression following the Wall Street Crash of 1929.

In the literary scene, the Generation of ’98 continued to hold prestige, with figures like Rubén Darío influencing the poetic landscape. However, the Generation of ’27 had a greater affinity with the artistic revival of the 1920s, particularly with Ortega y Gasset’s Noucentisme, which advocated for intellectual, abstract, and anti-Romantic art.

Ultraism, a precursor to the Generation of ’27, played a significant role in shaping their aesthetics. It contributed to the emphasis on purism in art, the importance of image and metaphor, and the rise of anti-romanticism.

Surrealism, with its focus on rehumanization and liberation, also had a profound impact on the Generation of ’27, ultimately diverting their path towards a more committed and human-centered literature.