Spanish Poetry: From Civil War to the 21st Century
Miguel Hernández: A Bridge Between Literary Generations
We should first mention Miguel Hernández, a poet who bridged the gap between the Generation of ’27 and the Generation of ’36, reaching his peak after the Spanish Civil War. Although a late disciple, Miguel Hernández’s work reflects the same stages as those of his generation. His initial phase was characterized by avant-garde poetry, ‘dehumanized’ and filled with brilliant metaphors, as seen in Perito en lunas. This phase concluded with El rayo que no cesa (The Lightning That Never Ends), a mature work exploring his favorite themes of love, life, and death, dominated by sonnets. This book also features the famous “Elegy to Ramón Sijé.” The second stage coincided with the ‘re-humanization’ of poetry. Hernández, of humble origins and deeply committed to the Republican cause, sought to embody the people’s ideals. Vientos del pueblo (Winds of the People) and El hombre acecha (Man Stalks) are the most significant titles from this period. Finally, Cancionero y romancero de ausencias (Songbook and Ballad of Absence) represents his final stage, where Hernández, imprisoned, laments the absence of his wife and son in poems that recall traditional lyric poetry in their simple and focused style. Nanas de la cebolla (Onion Lullabies) also belongs to this period.
Post-War Existentialism in Spanish Literature
After the war, literature across all genres (poetry, novels, plays) adopted an existential orientation. The tragedy led authors to ponder the meaning of life, with pain, anguish, and absurdity becoming central themes. Thus, the literature of the 1940s is characterized by existentialism. In poetry, however, two trends coexisted: the purely existential, known as “uprooted poetry,” and classicism, known as “rooted poetry.” The great poets of this time belonged to the former, portraying the world as chaotic, devoid of harmony and serenity, with individuals steeped in existential angst. They used everyday language, a dry and hard style, uncompromising rhetoric, and preferred free verse over classical stanzas. The book that marked and defined this new poetry is Hijos de la ira (Sons of Wrath) by Dámaso Alonso, whose title reflects the profound impact of the Civil War on the poets of these years. The other trend, considered the literature “of the victors,” sought refuge in formal beauty, traditional songs, classical metrics, and religion to ignore the pain of war. Luis Rosales and Dionisio Ridruejo were important figures in this trend.
The Rise of Social Poetry in the 1950s
Around 1950, existential poetry began to evolve into social poetry. Individual anguish gave way to solidarity with others, leading to a social approach. Some political openness of the regime imposed after the Civil War, along with the influence of novels and plays that also reflected this trend, gave rise to “social poetry” or “committed poetry.” Its aim was to transform the country’s social reality, focusing on Spain and its political situation. The style was clear, simple, and devoid of rhetoric. Prominent authors include Vicente Aleixandre (Historia del corazón (History of the Heart) (1945-1954)), Gabriel Celaya (Cantos iberos (Iberian Songs)), and Blas de Otero (Pido la paz y la palabra (I Ask for Peace and the Word), Que trata de España (That Deals with Spain)).
Intimate Poetry and the Poetry of Experience
The 1960s saw the overcoming of social poetry. There was a growing skepticism about the possibility of changing the world through poetry and literature in general. Consequently, poetry returned to a greater concern with poetic language, becoming more pure and concentrated. Notable authors from this period include Ángel González and Jaime Gil de Biedma. Introducing intimate themes (friendship, love, children) drawn from personal experiences and everyday situations, these poets extended their work into the 1970s. In general, they reflected a pessimistic and skeptical outlook.
Contemporary Spanish Poetry: 1980 to Present
From 1980 to the present day, poetry has continued to favor intimacy, with many different trends emerging. Among these is the so-called “poetry of experience,” which focuses on the urban environment and expresses realistic everyday events from a skeptical and disenchanted perspective. This trend is represented by, among others, Andrés Trapiello and Luis García Montero. Additionally, there are authors who published in the 1950s and 1960s and are difficult to classify, such as José Hierro, whose Cuaderno de Nueva York (New York Notebook) became a prototype for the poetry of the 1990s.