The Generation of '27: Spanish Poetry, Avant-Garde, and Tradition

The Generation of '27: Literary Brilliance in 20th Century Spain

The poetic Grupo del 27 (Generation of '27) is the name given to a group of poets who became the most brilliant literary figures of the 20th century in Spain.

Origins and Defining Characteristics

The group first gathered in 1927 to celebrate the tercentenary of the death of Luis de Góngora. This celebration had a double meaning for the group:

• Awareness: Understanding what the poet and poetry should be.
• Rejection: Distancing themselves from academic tradition, nineteenth-century aesthetics, and certain aspects of Modernism.

The Generation of '27 consisted of progressive, liberal, university-educated men who highly valued friendship.

Intellectual Influences

Combining Tradition and Originality, the members were intellectual debtors of several key figures:

• Ortega y Gasset: Their philosopher.
• Ramón Gómez de la Serna: Represented the cutting-edge avant-garde.
• Juan Ramón Jiménez: The poet par excellence.

Core Members of the Generation of '27

The core members of this influential group were:

• Pedro Salinas
• Jorge Guillén
• Gerardo Diego
• Vicente Aleixandre
• Federico García Lorca
• Dámaso Alonso
• Luis Cernuda
• Rafael Alberti

Key Literary Features and Themes

The literary features of the Generation of '27 reconciled Spanish tradition with the avant-garde (vanguardia). The presence of avant-garde movements significantly shaped their poetry. Their work incorporated major themes from Western culture. Three major thematic areas stand out:

Thematic Focus Areas

The City and Progress

Writers of the '27 insisted on the theme of the city, viewing it as progress. New York served as the primary model, while Moscow represented social commitment.

Nature, Love, and the Elemental

Initially, nature near the city prevailed. At maturity, they tended to see nature linked to their personal vision of the world. Love poems abound, often depicting paradise confined to a room where human, bare, elemental love triumphs.

Political and Artistic Commitment

They were committed to their time and to art. During the Spanish Civil War, they united with older writers (such as Antonio Machado) and younger ones (such as Miguel Hernández), forming the basis for war songs and ballads.

Religious Sentiment

Religious concern was generally low within the group, with the notable exception of Gerardo Diego.

Metric Innovation and Classical Forms

Regarding metric, the group did not use as many meters and forms as the Romantics or Modernists, focusing instead on authenticity and appreciation of classical forms. They frequently employed:

• The classical sonnet.
• The romance (ballad).
• The carol (villancico).

The great innovation of the group was the use of free verse (verso libre), though they also cultivated blank verse (verso blanco) and traditional verse.