The Three Literary Stages of Federico García Lorca

The Literary Legacy of Federico García Lorca

Federico García Lorca's work covers two main aspects: poetry and drama. His entire body of work can be divided into three distinct chronological stages, characterized by evolving styles and themes:

1. Neopopulism (1921–1928)
2. Surrealism (1929–1932)
3. Equilibrium between Tradition and the Avant-Garde (1932–1936)

Stage 1: Neopopulism and Andalusian Culture (1921–1928)

In poetry, this stage assumes Andalusian popular culture and imitates the meter and style of traditional songs and ballads, in addition to flamenco. This trend is evident in works such as:

• Poem of the Cante Jondo (or Poema del cante flamenco)
• Gypsy Ballads (or Romancero Gitano)

During this same period, Lorca debuted in drama, recreating the popular Andalusian atmosphere in plays like The Shoemaker's Prodigious Wife and The Puppet Play of Don Cristóbal.

Stage 2: Surrealist Influence (1929–1932)

The influence of Surrealism became notable when Lorca wrote Poet in New York during his stay in the U.S. in 1930. The visionary imagery contributes to expressing the desolation produced by New York's capitalist society. He also wrote surrealist plays during this time, including The Public and When Five Years Pass (or Así que pasen cinco años).

Stage 3: Synthesis of Tradition and Avant-Garde (1932–1936)

At this final stage, Lorca wrote his great tragedies, often referred to as his rural trilogy. These dramas feature female protagonists who fail in their attempt to escape the oppressive atmosphere that surrounds them:

• Yerma
• Blood Wedding
• The House of Bernarda Alba

Lorca also wrote the poetry collections Divan del Tamarit and Sonnets of Dark Love. However, the work that most clearly illustrates the maturity of his poetry is Lament for the Death of Ignacio Sánchez Mejías, an elegy dedicated to the bullfighter killed in the square in 1935. In this long poem, Lorca masterfully combines the traditional structure of the elegy with the visionary images of Surrealism.

Unifying Themes in Lorca's Work

The unifying theme across Lorca's varied work is the feeling of frustrated love and the tragic fate that condemns his characters to inevitable death. The figure of the outsider, who fails to integrate into a hostile society, features prominently in both his poems and his plays. This archetype includes:

• The gypsy in Gypsy Ballads
• The black poet in Poet in New York
• The forbidden lover in Sonnets of Dark Love
• The women protagonists of his great theatrical dramas