Key Spanish Literary Movements of the Early 20th Century

The Novecentista Novel

The Novecentista novel is characterized by two main features: descriptive lyricism, which focuses on feelings, and the presence of non-fiction passages. In these works, the fundamental element is not the action but rather the reflection and portrayal of characters and their environments.

• Gabriel Miró was a writer of a lyrical character, with works such as The Bishop or Our Father, Saint Daniel.
• Ramón Pérez de Ayala evolved from realism to symbolism in works like Belarmino and Apolonio or Tigre Juan.
• Ramón Gómez de la Serna introduced the avant-garde in Spain and was the creator of greguerías. A greguería is a short, witty statement that combines humor and metaphor.

The Noucentista Essay

José Ortega y Gasset summarized his thoughts on what the new literature should be in his work, The Dehumanization of Art. His thinking reveals the influence of the avant-garde, as Ortega defended originality, a lack of sentiment, anti-realism, and the predominance of the image.

The Generation of '27

In the 1920s, a new group of writers emerged, known as the Generation of '27. They are named this because they met in 1927 to commemorate the tercentenary of the death of Luis de Góngora. These authors admired the poetry of Juan Ramón Jiménez and the ideas of José Ortega y Gasset. The poets were not content to simply imitate the model of dehumanized poetry and art; they incorporated new formal and thematic elements, blending modernism and tradition in their works.

Key authors include:

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

Lorca and Alberti also contributed to the renewal of the theatrical genre.

Rafael Alberti

In Marinero en tierra (Sailor on Land), this collection of poems deals with subjects such as nostalgia and childhood memories. In Sobre los ángeles (Concerning the Angels), a surrealist technique is used to express the poet's anguish and personal disorientation.

Jorge Guillén

He is the highest representative of pure poetry, a style promoted by Juan Ramón Jiménez. His work is collected in the book Aire nuestro (Our Air), which groups three books of poems:

• Cántico (Canticle): A set of poems in which the happiness of being alive is exalted. They are bright and perfectionist in style.
• Clamor: The poet addresses some of the problems that contradicted or questioned the perfection celebrated in Cántico.
• Homenaje (Tribute): A set of poems that commends different personalities from the worlds of art and science.