Evolution of 20th Century Spanish Literature

1. Modernismo and the Generation of '98

• Concern for the future of Spain: Spanish claims to the landscape as a literary theme.
• Larra: Consideration as a precursor of the need for regeneration of the country and admiration for his ability to criticize.
• Renewal of the literary language: The reflective attitude of the author leads him to ask existential questions.
• Thematic Coincidence: This last aspect is the one with greater coincidence between Modernismo and the Generation of '98, as the reflections of the authors have the same thematic elements as their object.

Key Themes

• Time: The passage of time.
• Solitude: Necessary to meet the man himself.
• The Dream: The attitude of disappointment and pessimism.
• Sensuality: Love of pleasures, which invites one to enjoy the bohemian life.

2. Generation of '14

• Intellectualism: Solid intellectual and scientific training; rejection of sentimentality in works, favoring the exposition of ideas where the essay is the predominant genre.
• Cosmopolitanism: A taste for the universal and rejection of local expressions.
• Concern for Spain: Proposed to intervene actively in political life to modernize the foundations of culture and science.
• Defense of Pure Art: The argument that the purpose of art is aesthetic, with a formal commitment to a job well done.

3. Generation of '27

• Renewal of Poetry: Endorsement of avant-garde aesthetic principles without rejecting the Spanish literary tradition; admiration for classical poets such as Garcilaso.
• Stylistic Features: Use of metaphor, striking images, and a wide metric range, utilizing traditional stanzas alongside free verse.
• Perspective: Concern for formal aspects of poetry and a view of reality from the author's own inner experience.

4. Theater and the Grotesque

• Modernist Stage: Early dramas address issues of evasion with a brilliant style and romanticized works.
• Mythic Cycle: Consisting of Comedias bárbaras and Divinas palabras.
• Cycle of Farce: Expresses the sentimental and the grotesque to face reality differently; highlights include La marquesa Rosalinda.
• Cycle of the Grotesque (Esperpento): In the work Luces de bohemia, Valle-Inclán creates a literary genre based on the systematic distortion of characters and values to denounce contemporary Spanish society. The language also suffers a distortion, where refined forms are mixed with vulgar expressions.