20th Century Spanish Poetry: Rooted, Uprooted, and Social Movements

Spanish Poetry Until the 1950s: The Movements

Poetry Rooted (Poesía Arraigada)

This movement, prominent until the 1950s, sought the perfection of verse and expression to convey beauty while representing the plight of the time. Its interest lay in achieving formal mastery.

Key Characteristics and Themes:

• Themes: Religious and traditional subjects, such as landscape or love.
• Metric: Tended toward regulation; the sonnet was a favorite form.
• Context: Associated with literary journals like Garcilaso and Escorial.

Representative Poets:

Luis Rosales: Known for writing long verses using straightforward language. His imagery is often striking, sometimes approaching surrealism (e.g., La casa encendida).

Poetry Uprooted (Poesía Desarraigada)

A reaction against the classical aestheticism of the "Rooted" poets, this movement embraced a different approach, often referred to as "rootless" poetry. They frequently utilized free verse.

Key Characteristics and Themes:

• Purpose: Primarily a poetry of denunciation.
• Topics: Social denunciation, existential angst, and criticism of God.

Representative Poets and Works:

• Dámaso Alonso: Hijos de la ira (Children of Wrath).
• Vicente Aleixandre: Sombra del Paraíso (Shadow of Paradise).
• Victoriano Crémer: Addressed issues such as injustice, freedom, the world of work, and love.

Social Poetry (Poesía Social)

Social Poetry looks outward, focusing on the unfair and sad reality of human existence. The social poet acts as an echo of human suffering and denounces social inequalities and injustices.

Goals and Style:

The primary desire of these poets was to help transform society, utilizing a simple and direct language accessible to the majority.

Representative Poets and Works:

Gabriel Celaya: Cantos Ibéricos (Iberian Songs).

Major Figures in Post-War Spanish Poetry

Blas de Otero: Depth and Evolution

Although his body of work is not extensive, it possesses immense quality, expressive depth, and thematic richness. Otero employed an elaborate, personal, and carefully crafted poetic language.

Stages of Poetic Development:

1. Poetry Ingrained (Rooted): Focused on religious themes (e.g., Cántico espiritual).
2. Poetry Uprooted: Marked by existential and human concerns, seeking conscience. This stage includes Ángel fieramente humano (Fiercely Human Angel) and later Ancia, where the poet searches for God, who is often perceived as absent and indifferent to the human cry.
3. Social Poetry: Used simple verse and direct language to address the vast majority (e.g., Pido la paz y la palabra - I Ask for Peace and the Word).
4. Formal Renewal: A final step toward experimental poetry (e.g., Historias fingidas y verdaderas - False and True Stories).

Other Significant Voices

León Felipe: The Voice of Exile

Belonging to a previous generation, León Felipe remains one of the most authentic voices of Spanish poetry in exile. His verse is strong and vibrant, stripped of all ornamentation. His work powerfully displays the personal drama of exile and the tragedy of Spain.

José Hierro: Narrative and Imagination

A poet known for his dense and carefully chosen language. Hierro followed two distinct paths: one more direct and narrative, and another more imaginative (e.g., Cuaderno de Nueva York - New York Notebook).