Literary Contributions of Vicent Andrés Estellés and Salvador Espriu

Vicent Andrés Estellés: A Nationalist Voice

Vicent Andrés Estellés, a progressive nationalist, was a self-trained literary figure who worked as a journalist in the provinces. Kindling renewed Valencian poetry and addressing a lack of modern tradition, he produced a very extensive body of work.

He is the poet who represents the country in recent years because he writes about all the elements that represent Valencià. His poetry speaks of everyday reality with great sincerity when transmitting feelings: love, fear, hunger, and death.

His works particularly highlight the misery of war, political oppression, and the moral sense of anxiety regarding the monotony of human existence. The poet is the voice of the people and testifies to all reality with a committed attitude.

From 1975, he published Mural de València, where happiness and pride in Valencia dominate.

Salvador Espriu: A Complex Literary Figure

Salvador Espriu was a storyteller, playwright, and poet, and his work represents the very strong historical period in which he lived. He was an author with great culture; he studied law, ancient history, and classical languages.

His poetry evolved from existentialism to a progressively more realistic poetry. Initially, during the 1950s, Estellés was the poet crying for the country he loved. Since 1960, with the publication of La pell de brau (Bull's Hide), he began his phase of moral and realistic drama concerning Spain.

Characteristics of Espriu's Poetry

Espriu's poetry is very dense and tight, demanding a certain cultural baggage as it is full of symbols of different origins.

The recurrent themes in his poetry are:

• The death of loved ones.
• The language of the country, showing his commitment to his people.

Pessimism is also observed, although it is sometimes tempered by irony and satire. He uses recreation for mythological satire and moralizing denunciation. Moreover, he contributes a large number of symbols to the mythology of his poetry.

Conclusion on Espriu's Work

We conclude that his work addressed the spiritual problems of his people, subjected to political repression and silence. Ultimately, his major themes were justice and freedom.