Juan Ramón Jiménez and Rubén Darío: Modernist Poetry Masters

Juan Ramón Jiménez: Life and Poetic Nudity

Born in Huelva in 1881, Juan Ramón Jiménez died in Puerto Rico in 1958. In 1956, he received the Nobel Prize in Literature. The appearance of his great love was highly important in his life and work. His poetry was characterized by the desire for full poetic nudity and purity, alongside a popular attraction, focusing especially on aesthetic, ethical, and philosophical thought. He is considered a key Modernist poet.

Poetic Periods and Major Works

His work is usually divided into three periods:

1. Sensitive Period (Modernist Excesses)

Works like Free Sensitive Plant and Souls of Violet Water Lilies reveal early Modernist excesses (allegory, symbols of autumn, twilight).

2. Intellectual Period (Pursuit of Reality)

The pursuit of knowledge of reality starts with Estío, which features a more naked and pure perception and a greater conceptualization of topics such as love. In this period, he wrote his best work, Diary of a Newly Married Poet, which explores the idea of a physical and sentimental journey.

3. Essential Period (Inner Consciousness)

This period reaches his essential idea of poetry. Works such as Space and Animal Background fused the real with the transcendental.

Prose Poetry

His best-known prose work is Platero y yo (Silversmith and I), which is a critique of progress based on materialism.

Rubén Darío and the Birth of Modernism

Rubén Darío introduced Hispano-American Modernism, a movement that significantly influenced Spain. Modernist authors referenced diverse sources such as Parnassians, French Symbolists, and Spanish classics.

Key Works of Rubén Darío

Major works include:

• Epístolas y poemas (Letters and Poems)
• Algas
• Prosas profanas (Profane Prose)
• Cantos de vida y esperanza (Songs of Life and Hope)
• Poema del otoño (Autumn Poem)

Azul...: A Modernist Paradigm

His best work is Azul... (Blue), considered a paradigm of Modernist aesthetics. It consists of two main parts: prose and verse. His association with Parnassianism is evident through exoticism, orientalism, and sensuality.

Structure of Azul...

The work is structured as follows:

1. Prose Section: Lyrical fantasy tales, many inspired by Paris. The section written in Chile contains several stories, including twelve narrative-descriptive prints (countryside engravings) that focus on female beauty. Notable short stories include "The Death of the Empress of China" and "The Star."
2. Lyrical Verses Section: These compositions can be separated into:
   • Four Poems: Each devoted to one of the seasons.
   • Three Poems: Including "Autumn Thoughts," "Anagken," and "A Poet."
   • Three Sonnets: "Franco," "Venus," and "Winter."
   • Medallions: Portraits of contemporary poets.