Spanish Poetry’s Silver Age: The Generation of ’27
The Generation of ’27: A Golden Age of Spanish Poetry
During the 1920s, a group of poets developed their work, producing a new glory of Spanish poetry that some critics have called the Silver Age. Their names include:
- Pedro Salinas
- Jorge Guillén
- Rafael Alberti
- Federico García Lorca
- Luis Cernuda
- Vicente Aleixandre
- Gerardo Diego
- Dámaso Alonso
- Emilio Prados
- Manuel Altolaguirre
The group’s name comes from the celebration in 1927 of the tercentenary of the death of Góngora. All these poets converged at the Center for Historical Studies and published in the Revista de Occidente (Journal of the West). They also shared an open, liberal, and progressive outlook, extensive training, and a similar ideology.
Common Features of the Generation of ’27
Even though they adopted some elements from various ‘isms’, they did not imitate their absolute break with previous traditions but integrated them into their poetry. The only thing they believed deserved to be scorned was bad poetry. One of their most significant features is their balance between seemingly opposite poles, such as:
- Novelty and tradition
- Cultured and popular influences
- Sentiment and intellect
- Aesthetic purity and humanized poetry
Something common to all these poets was individualism over collectivism and the incorporation of avant-garde developments.
Literary Career: Stages of the Generation of ’27
The literary career of the Generation of ’27 can be divided into three main stages:
First Stage: Pursuit of Pure Poetry (Until c. 1928)
This initial period is characterized by the pursuit of pure poetry. Early Bécquerian and modernist influences are felt in their first compositions. Subsequently, they were influenced by the avant-garde and oriented themselves towards pure poetry, often without human presence.
Second Stage: Rehumanization, Surrealism, and the Civil War
In the second stage, we find a rehumanization of poetry, the influence of Surrealism, and the looming shadow of the Spanish Civil War. With the advent of Surrealism, human issues recovered prominence, and the eternal conflicts of man came to the fore: love, longing for fulfillment, frustration, and other existential problems.
Third Stage: Post-War Exile and Nostalgia
In the third stage, after the war, all the poets were profoundly affected by the conflict. Lorca tragically died, and the rest went into exile. Only Gerardo Diego (a supporter of the Franco regime), Vicente Aleixandre, and Dámaso Alonso remained in Spain, becoming decisive figures for post-war Spanish poetry. In exile, the dominant notes were nostalgia for a lost homeland, uprooting, and the existentialist humanism of a lost Spain.
Federico García Lorca: A Central Figure of the ’27
Born in Fuente Vaqueros and tragically killed in Seville, Federico García Lorca was a key figure in the Generation of ’27 due to his profound literary work and his importance in cultural life. His poetic world is often tragic and violent. His recurring themes include love, frustration, and death. The feeling of love, for Lorca, validates any sexual preference. Sex is presented as a source of energy and fullness; however, love affairs are often doomed to frustration. Man inevitably faces death, which holds a powerful attraction and a component of mystery. Childhood is depicted as a stage of innocence, an attitude the poet often assumes. Social presence also significantly marks his work. Lorca’s style varies throughout his poetry but retains some constants, such as the use of symbols, visionary imagery, and musicality.
Lorca’s Romancero Gitano (Gypsy Ballads)
Romancero Gitano is a collection of lyric-narrative romances, rich in symbols that convey indeterminacy (such as the moon, horse, blood, etc.), vagueness, and ellipsis in the most dramatic scenes. The poems depict a tragic, stylized Andalusia centered on the gypsy world, which serves as a space of grief, love, and nature. The main characters (vital, tragic, and mythical) are the Gypsies, who represent freedom. They are often accused by the Civil Guard, which symbolizes the pursuit of power and destruction. There is a stark contrast between erotic fullness and tragic love that inevitably leads to death. Violence and death, whether bloody or symbolic, are prevalent throughout the work. The book masterfully combines a traditional metric form (the romance) with avant-garde innovations (visionary images, symbols).