Spanish Literature: Late 19th to Early 20th Century
Generation of ’98
The Generation of ’98 reflects the influence of irrational philosophies, such as existentialism and pessimism. These authors show a massive concern for the great themes of human existence in their works. They express concerns about the situation of Spain and attach particular importance to national and individual regeneration. Their national concern became the central theme of their works, exalting the landscape of peoples and raising awareness of distressing aspects of the national situation. The desire to modernize the country made them turn their eyes to Europe and question the need for Spain to Europeanize. They sought the essence of Spanish and eternal values in the land of Castile, utilizing archaisms and an anti-rhetorical style. They tried to modernize traditional genres.
Unamuno and His Contemporaries
Unamuno and his contemporaries centered their stories on the problems of human existence. Unamuno renewed the novelistic genre and, in order to justify the major innovations he introduced, invented the word nivola to describe his narrative model. Key features of his work include:
- Emphasis on expressive nakedness
- Importance attached to dialogue
- Presence of a single protagonist, an agonistic character struggling with the idea of death
- Conception of the novel as a method of knowledge applied to the search for solutions to the yearning for immortality
- Reinterpretation of the concept of realism
- Open structure
- Anticipation of features of contemporary narrative, such as interior monologue
Notable works include San Manuel Bueno, Mártir (which deals with the problem of human existence and the immortality of the soul) and Niebla (Mist).
Valle-Inclán
Valle-Inclán’s work can be divided into three stages:
First Stage (Modernist)
This stage is characterized by lyrical and poetic aspects. He wrote stories and legends, such as Flor de Santidad (Flower of Holiness), which reflects a mysterious Galicia. The protagonist is obsessed with religion. One day she sees a pilgrim, identifies with him, becomes pregnant, and believes that Jesus is the incarnation.
Sonatas (Autumn, Summer, Spring, Winter) features the hero, the Marquis of Bradomín.
Second Stage (Myth, History, and Barbaric Novels)
His prose is less aesthetic in this stage. Works include Comedias Bárbaras (Barbaric Comedies): Águila de Blasón (Eagle Coat of Arms), Romance de Lobos (Romance of Wolves), and Cara de Plata (Silver Face), which reflect a medieval, fantastical Galicia. He also wrote novels about the Carlist War.
Third Stage (Esperpento)
In this stage, the characters are transcriptions of the author’s reforming perspective. He animalizes the characters. Notable works include Tirano Banderas (Tyrant Banderas), which criticizes coups and Latin American governments, and La Corte de los Milagros (The Court of Miracles), which reflects life in Spain and satirizes past and contemporary life.
Antonio Machado
Antonio Machado’s work can be divided into four stages:
First Stage: Modernist Period
This period includes his work Soledades (Solitudes).
Second Stage
He published Soledades, Galerías y Otros Poemas (Solitudes, Galleries, and Other Poems). The poet removed, although not entirely, the powerful influence of modernism, and a brief vision of the Castilian landscape appeared for the first time.
Third Stage
This is the period of the poems in Campos de Castilla (Fields of Castile), where his concern for Spain is evident, and he aligns more closely with the authors of the Generation of ’98.
Fourth Stage
In this stage, his philosophical and folkloric concerns loom large, as seen in Nuevas Canciones (New Songs).
Soledades features an intimate tone and explores themes of death, anxiety, and dreams. It uses symbols and a constant dialogue with the poet himself. Soledades, Galerías y Otros Poemas is linked to the first stage but with new developments. Campos de Castilla pays greater attention to the landscape and to socio-political issues.
Juan Ramón Jiménez
Juan Ramón Jiménez is considered one of the most innovative figures in 20th-century Spanish poetry. He facilitated the emergence of the Generation of ’27 by bringing the work of foreign poets to Spain. His concept of poetry is elitist and intimate. He understands poetry as a means of knowledge, a means of expression for overall beauty, and a manifestation of his desire for eternity. His evolution is very original because of the ongoing review to which he subjected his work.
Sensitive Stage
This stage includes his beginnings, accompanied by a neo-romantic style with a clear influence of Bécquer. Poems from this stage feature short verses and assonance rhyme, as seen in Nenúfares (Water Lilies) and Almas de Violeta (Souls of Violet). He later received the influence of modernism, as in Platero y Yo (Platero and I).
Intellectual Stage
This stage begins with Diario de un Recién Casado (Diary of a Newlywed). Jiménez abandons the characteristics of modernism and focuses on the essential, eliminating the superfluous text and highlighting the deep meaning of the word and poetics. A notable work from this period is Piedra y Cielo (Stone and Sky).
True or Sufficient Stage
This stage developed during his exile and is embodied in two fundamental texts: En el Otro Costado (On the Other Side) and Dios Deseado y Deseante (God Desired and Desiring).