20th Century Spanish Literary Movements: From Noucentisme to Social Realism

20th Century Spanish Literary Movements

Noucentisme: Intellectualism and Pure Art

In the second decade of the twentieth century, a group of writers emerged, characterized by their intellectualism, their eagerness for European culture, and their search for a 'pure art.' This literary current, which promoted its components in 1914, is known as Noucentisme. The main exponent of Noucentista poetry is Juan Ramón Jiménez.

Characteristics of the Noucentista Novel

The Noucentista novel features two main characteristics: lyrical descriptive passages and the presence of essayistic elements. It focuses less on action and more on the reflection and description of characters and their environments. Key figures include Gabriel Miró and Ramón Pérez de Ayala.

The Generation of '27: Vanguard and Tradition

In the 1920s, a new group of writers emerged, known as the Generation of '27. They earned their name because they met in 1927 to commemorate the tercentenary of the death of Luis de Góngora. These writers admired the poetry of Juan Ramón Jiménez and the ideas of Ortega y Gasset.

The Generation of '27 poets initially imitated the 'pure poetry' model and the concept of 'dehumanized art,' but they incorporated new formal and thematic elements, fusing avant-garde art and tradition in their works. Prominent authors include:

• Federico García Lorca
• Rafael Alberti
• Luis Cernuda
• Pedro Salinas
• Jorge Guillén
• Dámaso Alonso
• Gerardo Diego
• Vicente Aleixandre

Post-Civil War Spanish Poetry: Rooted and Unrooted

After the Spanish Civil War, two distinct types of poetry emerged: rooted poetry and unrooted poetry.

• Rooted Poetry

  Cultivated by writers such as Leopoldo Panero and Luis Rosales, this style was often aligned with the Francoist regime and characterized by its optimistic and affirmative tone.

• Unrooted Poetry

  This poetry expressed a profound sense of anxiety and existential angst about life. Unrooted poetry, along with social poetry, evolved significantly into the 1950s.

The Social Novel of the 1950s

In the 1950s, reality forcefully entered the narrative, and authors began cultivating the social novel. A seminal work by Camilo José Cela is often credited with initiating this literary current.

Key Characteristics:

• The narrator attempts to reflect facts with a degree of objectivity.
• The novel focuses not on a single protagonist, but on the lives of a group of people.
• Descriptions of places and passages portray everyday environments with critical intention, achieving great importance in the narrative.