20th Century Latin American Poetic Movements

Modernism in Latin American Literature

In the early years of the twentieth century, Modernism allowed Latin American literature to reach a moment of glory. This trend reflects the desire to assert a unique cultural personality. Literature from Latin American countries followed Spanish tendencies until the nineteenth century, when they achieved independence. In the late nineteenth century, a splendid moment for Latin American literature arrived with Modernism, which manifested as a movement of political and cultural statement.

American Modernists rejected Spanish influence, seeking new models in American, Italian, and especially French literature. They valued pre-Columbian American roots, including myths, legends, and traditions.

The Legacy of Rubén Darío

In the early twentieth century, Modernism was fulfilled by Rubén Darío, the great poet of the era. His most important works are Prosas Profanas and Cantos de vida y esperanza. The influence of Modernism was intense in the first decade of the century, but by 1920, with the rise of the Avant-garde, it was considered finished.

Post-Modernist Latin American Poetry

From the first third of the century after Modernism, several poetic trends emerged: intimate and customs-based poetry, the Avant-garde, Pure Poetry, and the poetry of Negritude.

Intimate Poetry and Regional Customs

Intimate poetry focuses on topics of everyday life and love for the land. This trend was advanced by César Vallejo, with his work Poemas humanos (1939), and Pablo Neruda in Canto general (1950).

The Avant-Garde and Surrealist Movements

The Avant-garde poetry of the twenties was cultivated by Vicente Huidobro, founder of Creacionismo, and Jorge Luis Borges. Since the late 1920s, Surrealism often appeared as an expression of social poetry and existence in the works of César Vallejo (Trilce, 1922) and Pablo Neruda (Residencia en la tierra). Later, in the fifties and sixties, Octavio Paz (Salamandra and Ladera Este) revitalized the experimental Avant-garde toward the end of the twentieth century.

Pure Poetry and the Generation of '27

Pure Poetry was less developed than other trends. Its initiators, contemporaries of the Generation of '27, shared an interest in both traditional and Avant-garde styles, influenced by Paul Valéry and Juan Ramón Jiménez. Standouts in this current include José Gorostiza and Eduardo Carranza.

Afro-Antillean Poetry and Negritude

The poetry of Negritude reacted against cosmopolitanism to find inspiration in the West Indies' mestizo roots of African and Hispanic heritage: folklore, rhythms, traditions, and myths. The Cuban poet Nicolás Guillén achieved particular importance with books like Sóngoro Consongo (1931) and La paloma de vuelo popular (1958).