Generación del 27: Spanish Literary Movement & Influential Poets

Key Characteristics

• Formal Renewal: Poets employed a diverse lexicon, ranging from elevated, almost worshipful terms, to colloquialisms and innovative poetic expressions.
• Metrical Renewal: They sought a balance in their poems' metrics, blending traditional forms like the sonnet or romance with the use of blank verse and free verse, rather than complete freedom.
• Varied Themes: Their thematic scope was broad, encompassing love, death, fate, and other profound human experiences.

Literary Stages

• Avant-garde Influence: Initially, they were influenced by the European avant-garde, tending towards the ideal of pure poetry and seeking to eliminate overly human or sentimental elements from their works.
• Commitment: Later, they embraced feelings and engaged with existential and social concerns, reflecting a deeper commitment to reality.
• Post-War Rupture: After the Spanish Civil War, the group split:
  • Exile: For those in exile, common themes included the concept of paradise lost, memories, and a profound nostalgia for Spain.
  • Spain: Poets who remained in Spain developed a poetry focused on social and political commitment.

Prominent Poets

The Generación del 27 boasted a remarkable array of talent, each contributing a unique voice to the movement:

• Pedro Salinas: The Poet of Love

  His poetry explores a life of union with the absolute. Its formal simplicity often contrasts with the complexity of its meaning. Among his notable books are: La Voz a Ti Debida (Voice Due to You), Razón de Amor (Love's Reason), and Largo Lamento (Long Lament).

• Gerardo Diego: The Eclectic Poet

  His poetry is a unique blend of tradition and renewal, seamlessly integrating avant-garde and traditional forms. These characteristics are evident in works such as Versos Humanos (Human Verses) or Versos Divinos (Divine Verses).

• Federico García Lorca: Poet of Deep Emotion and Conflict

  His poetry masterfully blends cultured and popular elements, reflecting both inspiration and profound frustration. His work often portrays the human being who cannot achieve their desires. His career evolved from intimate works that celebrate people and sunlight. Among his poetic works are: Poema del Cante Jondo (Poem of the Deep Song), Poeta en Nueva York (Poet in New York), and Sonetos del Amor Oscuro (Sonnets of Dark Love).

• Rafael Alberti: The Poet of Variety

  His early compositions were dominated by a traditional tone, as seen in Marinero en Tierra (Sailor on Land). He later developed Surrealism in Sobre los Ángeles (On the Angels), and after the war, his poetry evolved into a committed style, as reflected in Poesía en la Calle (Poetry in the Street).

• Luis Cernuda: Between Reality and Desire

  His poetry explores themes of loneliness and the longing for love, often rejecting excessive musicality. He purified his language, using a colloquial style, evident in works such as Un Río, un Amor (A River, a Love), Donde Habita el Olvido (Where Oblivion Dwells), and his collected works, La Realidad y el Deseo (Reality and Desire).