The Generation of ’27 and Contemporary Spanish Literature

Posted on Oct 12, 2024 in Latin

The Generation of ’27

Overview

The Generation of ’27 was a group of Spanish poets who blended tradition and modernity. Notable authors include Lorca, Alberti, and Cernuda. This literary movement can be divided into two stages:

  1. Pure Poetry (1922-1928): Characterized by the elimination of excessive emotion, poetic rigor, and refined language.
  2. Avant-Garde Influence (1928-1936): Some poets continued with pure poetry, while others embraced avant-garde forms, particularly Surrealism.

The Spanish Civil War significantly impacted the Generation of ’27, leading to exile for many members and tragic consequences for those who remained.

Key Figures and Styles

Pure Poetry (Pedro Salinas)

Pedro Salinas, known as the poet of love, explored various facets of love in his work. His career can be divided into three stages:

  1. Initial Stage (1923-1932): Influenced by Juan Ramon Jimenez’s pure poetry and futurism.
  2. Second Stage (1933-1939): Featured a trilogy of love: The Voice of Life, Reason of Love, and Longing.
  3. Last Stage (1940-1951): Expressed lived realities, solidarity with human suffering, and creative exploration.

Avant-Garde (Gerardo Diego)

Gerardo Diego combined traditional and avant-garde poetry. His early work often used romance and sonnet forms. Later, he was influenced by Creationism and Ultraism, characterized by a lack of punctuation, unconventional verse arrangements, and inconsequential themes.

Vicente Aleixandre

Vicente Aleixandre explored human knowledge through surreal imagery. His work is divided into three phases:

  1. Pure Poetry: Represented by Field.
  2. Surrealism: Exemplified by Shades of Paradise.
  3. Anthropocentric Poetry: Illustrated by History of the Heart.

Tradition and Innovation (Rafael Alberti)

Rafael Alberti’s work encompasses five stages:

  1. Neopopularist Poetry: Elevated popular Spanish poetry with surreal imagery, seascapes, and traditional forms (e.g., Marinero en Tierra).
  2. Avant-Garde Neogongorina Poetry: Influenced by Gongora, with classical, hermetic, and formal beauty.
  3. Surrealist Poetry: Represented by The Angels.
  4. Civil and Political Poetry: Addressed social and political issues (e.g., The Poet in the Street).
  5. Nostalgic Poetry: In exile, he wrote civic and political poems alongside those evoking childhood, youth, and landscapes (e.g., Return of the Living Far Away).

Miguel Hernández

Miguel Hernández, associated with both the Generation of ’27 and ’36, explored various poetic styles:

  1. Pure Poetry: Focused on everyday life and themes like death and bullfighting (e.g., Proficient in Moons).
  2. Neo-Romantic Poetry: Explored love, pain, and joy (e.g., The Ray that Does Not Stop).
  3. Literature of Urgency: Used poetry to boost soldier morale and promote the cause (e.g., Wind of the People).
  4. Internal Examination: Reflected on personal loss and imprisonment in Songs and Ballads of Absences.

Pure Poetry (Jorge Guillén)

Jorge Guillén’s major works include:

  1. Song: Celebrated the joy of existence, cosmic harmony, and the poet’s integration into a perfect universe.
  2. Clamor: Introduced negative elements like war, death, and pain, questioning the perfection of the cosmos.
  3. Tribute: Dedicated to prominent figures in arts and sciences.

His poetry is characterized by its concise language, elimination of anecdotes, and use of classic forms.

Luis Cernuda

Luis Cernuda’s poetry, collected in Reality and Desire, explored themes of solitude and love. His career is divided into four stages:

  1. Learning Stage (1924-1928): Focused on nature and the discovery of love.
  2. Youth (1929-1935): Embraced Surrealism and explored homosexuality in The Forbidden Pleasures.
  3. Maturity (1936-1953): Addressed personal and political struggles in exile.
  4. Fullness (1957-1962): Remembered loved ones and writers in Desolation of the Chimera.

Contemporary Spanish Fiction

A Novel of Exile

Many authors went into exile and continued writing, though their works were often censored in Spain (e.g., Ramon J. Sender’s Requiem for a Spanish Peasant).

A Novel of the Postwar Period

This period saw limited originality, with exceptions like Camilo José Cela’s The Family of Pascual Duarte and Carmen Laforet’s Nada.

Social Realism

Social realism emerged with the Cold War and Spain’s partial emergence from isolation. It has two main trends:

  1. Social Novel Objectivism: Minimized the author’s presence, focused on external characterization, and used simple structures.
  2. Realist Critic: Shared objectivist traits but added a critical perspective and representative characters.

Key themes of the social novel included the rural world, the working class, and the bourgeoisie.

The Renewal of the 60s

The 1960s saw the rise of novels that demanded active reader participation. Key characteristics include:

  1. Multiple Points of View: Narratives shared by several characters.
  2. Diminished Importance of Plot: Emphasis shifted to how the story was told.
  3. Complex Structure: Chronological disorder, flashbacks, and narrative counterpoint.
  4. Interior Monologue: Characters expressed their thoughts freely.
  5. Style and Language: Experimentation with language, including long sentences, lack of punctuation, and mixing registers.

Characteristics of the Current Narrative

Recent Spanish narratives exhibit diverse trends but share some common features:

  1. Return to Subjectivity: Focus on individual experiences and perspectives.
  2. Eclectic Narrative Techniques: Blend of traditional and innovative techniques.
  3. Moderate Formal Experimentation: More accessible works with relevant plots.