Postwar Spanish Literature and Theater Development

Posted on Sep 26, 2025 in Latin

Historical Context of Spanish Literature and Theater (1939 Onwards)

Historical circumstances significantly influenced the development of drama and poetry since the Civil War. This period was marked by strong repression during the postwar years (often referred to as the ‘Primroses’ era), followed by some opening up in the late 1950s and especially the 1960s, and finally the arrival of democracy in the 1970s.

In the late 1960s, two international events had repercussions in Europe: May ’68 and the so-called Prague Spring. These two failed movements, however, helped transform the culture of Europe.

Society and Culture: Influences on Spanish Literature

Two key circumstances influenced Spanish literature during the Francoist era:

  • The exile of poets from the Generation of ’27
  • Censorship

Censorship disappeared after Franco’s death. Many literary works previously prohibited by censorship were then published, and a great part of the authors and artists in exile returned.

Spanish Poetry in the Postwar Period

During the 1940s, poets of the Generation of ’27 remained in exile, with the exception of Vicente Aleixandre, Gerardo Diego, and Dámaso Alonso. Diverse tendencies emerged:

Existentialist Poetry (1940s)

This tendency reflected the anguish and unease of war and postwar sentiment, often exploring themes of love or religion.

  • Luis Rosales – La casa encendida (1949)
  • Dámaso Alonso – Hijos de la ira (1944)

Postismo (Avant-Garde Movement)

An avant-garde movement founded by Carlos Edmundo de Ory. This was a line of intimate poetry characterized by the search for aesthetic perfection and equilibrium.

Poetry in the 1950s: Social Realism

From the mid-1950s, social poetry gained prominence. The poet no longer expressed personal anguish but collective suffering.

  • Blas de Otero – Pido la paz y la palabra
  • Gabriel Celaya – Cantos iberos
  • Juan Goytisolo
  • José Hierro

Poetry in the 1960s: Ethical and Social Commitment

In the 1960s, poetry evolved towards a more positive existential and social stance. Committed poets continued to engage with social reality, but their approach was more ethical than purely political. This generation includes:

  • Claudio Rodríguez
  • Jaime Gil de Biedma
  • José Manuel Caballero Bonald
  • Ángel González
  • José Ángel Valente

The Novísimos (Newest Poets)

In 1970, José María Castellet published the anthology Nueve novísimos poetas españoles (Nine Newest Spanish Poets), in which Pere Gimferrer and Leopoldo María Panero stood out.

Poetry from 1975: The Arrival of Democracy

With the arrival of democracy, two opposing tendencies emerged:

  • Poetry as a means of communication: Luis García Montero is its most known representative.
  • Poetry as a positive way to understand mystery: This tendency embraces anti-realist values and creative avant-garde approaches. Representatives include: José Ángel Valente (Islas extrañas, 2002), Eduardo Cirlot, Clara Janés, and Ana Rossetti.

Spanish Theater in the 1950s and 1960s

Theater was the literary genre most affected by censorship during the Francoist regime. Few works were staged until 1950, often avoiding political or humorous themes. The evolution of circumstances marked the theater. Three main types of theater can be identified:

  • Existentialist Theater:
    • Antonio Buero Vallejo – Historia de una escalera
    • Alfonso Sastre – Escuadra hacia la muerte
  • Disillusioned Comical Drama: This genre offered a first vision of life, where characters surrendered to social conventions.
    • Enrique Jardiel Poncela – Eloísa está debajo de un almendro
    • Miguel Mihura – Tres sombreros de copa
  • Social Criticism Theater (Mid-1950s onwards): This type of theater exposed injustices and the lack of freedom.
    • Alfonso Sastre – La mordaza
    • Lauro Olmo – La camisa
    • Antonio Buero Vallejo – Las Meninas

Spanish Theater in the 1970s: Experimental and Innovative

In the 1960s, experimental and innovative theater emerged, transmitting a message of continuous social criticism. It also sought to transform scenic conventions, fostering public participation and emphasizing the bodily expression of actors.

  • Independent Theater Groups: Els Joglars
  • Playwrights: Francisco Nieva, Fernando Arrabal
  • Antonio Buero Vallejo – El tragaluz

Contemporary Spanish Theater

A realistic tendency is represented by:

  • Fernando Fernán Gómez – Las bicicletas son para el verano
  • José Luis Alonso de Santos – Bajarse al moro

20th Century European Theater Influences

  • Bertolt Brecht’s Epic Theater: Criticized social issues. Works include: Galileo Galilei.
  • Antonin Artaud’s Theater of Cruelty: (e.g., his writings on The Tarahumara).
  • Theater of the Absurd: Eugène Ionesco and Samuel Beckett (e.g., Waiting for Godot, 1952).