Catalan Poetry Shift: 1970s-1990s Evolution & Features

Evolution and Characteristics of Catalan Poetry (1970s-1990s)

In 1973, Valencian poetry, which happened simultaneously with shifts in Catalan poetry (notably the 1973 publications by Llibres del Mall, and works by Ramon Pinyol and Xavier Bru de Sala), moved away from the preceding realism. New reference points included Joan Navarro (1974: Grills us sharpen knives to break fear) and Salvador Jàfer (1974: The muffled footsteps from the beach). The anthology by Damià Fabregat (1974: Fresh Meat) collected this change in orientation.

Poetry during the '80s continued more or less with the same parameters. Poets constructed a view of reality from the self through the sum of personal experiences, considering poetry as an expression of intimacy and a way to formulate their personal experiments. They definitively accepted the teachings of great 20th-century poets: Foix, Brossa, Ferrater, Carner, Espriu, Salvat-Papasseit, Pere Quart.

In the 90s, they abandoned the idea of acting as a collective memory or as promoters of social transformation, and tended towards the autobiography of privacy, often manifesting a pronounced skepticism. Apart from other considerations, the claim for 'work well done' prevailed. A tendency towards a withdrawal of discourse was observed, resulting in shorter and less emphatic poems, more intimate, and less fiercely alluding.

Characteristics of Non-Realistic Poetry (Post-1970s)

In the early 70s, the work of Foix was recovered, and two crucial books were published that helped overcome realism and shifted Catalan poetry of recent decades towards experimentalism and symbolism: El Mirall (1970) by Pere Gimferrer, and El Cingle (1970) and Poesia Rasa (1970) by Joan Brossa.

The non-realistic poetry that became hegemonic in a few years had the following features:

• (A) New Textual Parameters: The poet's intention, according to the aesthetic of the moment, aimed to draw the reader into the text or the discourse that shaped the writing itself, which did not necessarily contain a story or an argument.
• (B) Rebellious Practice: Connecting with writing practices that had shaped the history of 20th-century poetry—symbolism, the avant-garde, surrealism, etc.—poetry was considered an autonomous discourse, contrary to logical realism.
• (C) New Values of the Poetic Word: The poetic word ceased to be used for narration and instead aimed to suggest, evoke, be imaginative, and ambiguous.
• (D) Poetry as a Research Tool: The new poetry was considered a research tool for the poet's subjectivity, an access road to the world of ideas that gave rise to many creative attitudes related to the dream world. The poem ceased to be merely transparent; it became a complex, layered entity.
• (E) New Themes and Arguments: Poets presented arguments from innovative viewpoints, such as the assertion of dissent, the rupture with the values of cultural tradition, family, and society, the desire for modernity, and the pursuit of universalism.