Spanish Poetry: Modernism to the Civil War (1900-1939)
Item 1: Spanish Poetry of the 20th Century Until 1939
Introduction
From the advent of modernism to the Civil War, Spanish poetry experienced a golden age. The writers of this stage are considered part of the Silver Age, or the second golden century of Spanish poetry.
Historical Context
- Late 19th Century: The national politics and ideology were shaken by the disaster of 1898.
- 1902: The reign of Alfonso XIII began. Spain became involved in a bloody war with Morocco, the effects of which culminated in the
Spanish 18th Century: Bourbon Dynasty, Enlightenment, and Culture
Historical and Cultural Context of 18th-Century Spain
Political Issues Following the Death of Charles II
Following the death of Charles II without issue, there was a change of dynasty. The Bourbons took the throne of Spain. The Bourbon monarchs were French, reformist supporters of enlightened despotism. Don Felipe, grandson of Louis XIV, was named King of Spain with the name Felipe V. This situation triggered the War of the Spanish Succession between the monarchs and the Archduke of Austria. Felipe
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15th Century: A New Mentality
The transformations of the 15th century marked the transition from the Middle Ages to the Modern Age. These transformations can be categorized as follows:
Transformations
- Political Transformations: The restoration of royal authority and the emergence of states.
- Economic and Social Transformations: The development of trade and cities brought about the rise of the bourgeoisie. Improved roads extended contact between people and their ideas.
- Cultural Transformations: The creation
Romanticism and Post-Romanticism: Key Movements & Authors
The Romantic movement, reacting against the emphasis on reason, embraced emotion and feeling. It championed the individual over the social, and freedom of conduct and creation over rigid rules. Romanticism developed in the 19th century, culminating trends that opposed Enlightenment rationalism. Originating in Britain and Germany, it quickly spread through Europe, notably via France.
Romantic authors claimed freedom in all spheres: political freedom, advocating for a liberal state; moral freedom,
Read MoreSpanish Literature and Theater Under Franco’s Dictatorship
Poetry in the 1940s
During the 1940s, the expression of religious and existential anxieties dominated Spanish poetry. Postwar poetry began with two books by authors of the Generation of ’27: Children of Wrath (Dámaso Alonso) and Shadow of Paradise (Vicente Aleixandre). Both opened the way for younger poets. These books reflect a pessimistic and anxious world, presented as a meaningless chaos. They show a deep dissatisfaction with reality.
Francoist Spain
Spain lived under the dictatorship of General
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Sonority Scale and Syllable Formation
The Sonority Scale (or sonority hierarchy) posits that sonority increases towards the syllable peak, typically occupied by vowels and other sonorant sounds, and decreases away from it. Obstruent sounds, with the lowest sonority, often mark syllable boundaries. The scale has seven levels:
- 7-Vowels
- 6-Glides
- 5-Liquids
- 4-Nasals
- 3-Fricatives
- 2-Affricates
- 1-Plosives
The Sonority Sequencing Generalization (SSG) states that an optimal syllable has a sonority peak, optionally
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