The Generation of 1927: History, Authors, and Works
The Generation of '27
Emerging in the 1920s, this group of poets was defined by their deep friendships and cultural exchange. The name Generation of '27 commemorates the third centenary of the death of Luis de Góngora, a poet whose work deeply influenced them.
Core Characteristics
- Synthesis of Styles: They emerged during the rise of the avant-garde, adopting experimental principles while remaining connoisseurs and admirers of the classics. Combining cutting-edge innovation with tradition is the key to their genius.
- Key Members: Pedro Salinas, Rafael Alberti, Jorge Guillén, Gerardo Diego, Vicente Aleixandre, Federico García Lorca, Dámaso Alonso, and Luis Cernuda.
Evolutionary Stages
- Until 1929: Focused on pure, dehumanized poetry.
- Second Stage: A process of re-humanization influenced by surrealism and the Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, moving away from the manifesto for purity.
- Third Stage: The end of the Spanish Civil War, which led to the group's dispersal.
Key Authors and Works
Pedro Salinas
His career is divided into three stages:
- Early Stage: Influenced by the avant-garde and a taste for novelty (Presagios, Seguro azar, Fábula y signo).
- Love Trilogy: La voz a ti debida, Razón de amor, Largo lamento, focusing on the relationship with the beloved.
- Exile in America: Metaphysical reflection inspired by the sea. Todo más claro reflects hopelessness, while Confianza adopts a more hopeful tone.
Gerardo Diego
He balanced two distinct tendencies:
- Traditional: Influenced by Bécquer and Modernism, seen in his maturity with Alondra de verdad and his religious poetry.
- Vanguard: An outstanding representative of creationism, characterized by difficult, dehumanized, and unrealistic poetry with great formal freedom, as seen in Imagen and Manual de espumas.
Jorge Guillén
Representative of pure and intellectual poetry without discarding emotion. He utilized precise language and rich metaphors in sonnets, stanzas, and romances.
- Cántico: An enthusiastic collection inspiring harmony, joy, and fulfillment.
- Clamor: Explores themes of injustice, violence, and loneliness.
- Homenaje: Dedicated to his favorite authors.
Vicente Aleixandre
Nobel Prize for Literature winner in 1977. His work focuses on man's loving solidarity with creation.
- Surrealist phase: Espadas como labios, Pasión de la tierra, and La destrucción o el amor.
- Existentialist shift: Sombra del paraíso.
- Later work: Anthropocentric poetry in Historia del corazón.
Luis Cernuda
Exiled during the Civil War, he served as a professor in England, the USA, and Mexico. His collected poetry, La realidad y el deseo, was expanded between 1936 and 1964, focusing on themes of loneliness and love viewed through frustration and pessimism.
Dámaso Alonso
A poet, professor, and literary critic who remained in Spain during the Civil War and served in the Royal Spanish Academy. In 1944, he published Hijos de la ira, a momentous book reflecting the painful experience of the war in Spain.