Catalan Poets: Biographies & Literary Movements

Salvador Papasseit (1894-1924)

Born into a humble, proletarian family, Salvador Papasseit worked in a bookstore with his brother in 1917. A member of the Socialist Youth, he was considered a *mesos* anarchist and a freethinker. He married in 1918 and had two daughters. From that time, he began to write and direct magazines. He died of tuberculosis at the age of 30. His main themes were love, nature, and homeland.

Avant-garde Movements

The Avant-garde was an artistic renewal movement that took place between World War I and World War II. It was characterized by pictorial poetry, breaking with tradition, group consciousness, collage, and the beginnings of calligrams.

• Expressionism (1903): Amplification of the ways to translate a psychological expression.
• Cubism (1906): Logic has no pictures.
• Futurism (1909): Representation and pictorial art that brought the breaking of theatrical conventions.
• Dadaism (1916): Experimentation with language, trying to destroy traditional language.
• Surrealism (1918): Investigation of the unconscious; identifies life in poetry.

Carles Riba (1893-1959)

Carles Riba was a guide of Catalan culture, a teacher, and a great writer. He translated the *Odyssey*, Virgil, and Edgar Allan Poe into Spanish. He married Clementina Arderiu, and they went into exile during the Spanish Civil War, returning in 1943. He is known for his *Bierville Elegies* (11 elegies).

Josep Vicenç Foix (1893-1987)

Josep Vicenç Foix was born in Sarrià. From a young age, he had a strong interest in language. He studied the Arts and the Latin classics. He researched troubadour poetry, both Italian and Catalan. He was considered a poet, creating a unique language that combined medieval elements with avant-garde and archaisms. He received the Catalan Literature Prize of Honor in 1973 and the Gold Medal in 1980. His important works include *Sol, i de dol* and *Tocant a mà*. He was considered a poet of reason and fog, and a researcher of medieval and modern culture.

Josep Maria de Sagarra (1884-1961)

Josep Maria de Sagarra studied law at university, where he met Joan Maragall. He worked as a journalist and went into exile during the Spanish Civil War. He wrote about the war, which made him uncomfortable. He popularized Noucentisme. He created poetry with popular language, making verses with ease, and had a great command of Catalan literary language, influenced by the Golden Age. He disagreed with Maragall's "living word" and believed in the perfection of form. His main themes were the exaltation of life and human pain.

Salvador Espriu (1913-1985)

Salvador Espriu graduated in law and ancient history. The Spanish Civil War cut short his literary expectations. He experienced family deaths, and death became a central theme in his work. He sought free flight, nourishment, nobility, and happiness. He created important myths, such as *Sinera* (Arenys de Mar), which represents Catalonia and is associated with youth, family, and homeland. He wanted to reach out, as a type of communication. He believed that true poetry comes from life. He was influenced by Symbolism.