Modernism and the Generation of '98: Literary Movements in Spain

Modernism: A Late 19th Century Literary Movement

Modernism emerged at the end of the 19th century in Europe and America. It encompassed renovating currents opposed to the aesthetics and attitudes of realism. Modernism, a stream of artistic and literary renewal, developed in the late 19th century, representing a break with the aesthetics of realism. It received influences from French movements in the second half of the 19th century:

• Parnassianism: Striving for formal perfection (art for art's sake), disregarding feelings, and focusing on beauty.
• Symbolism: Seeking meaning in reality through the use of symbols.

Modernism is considered to have begun with the publication of Azul by Ruben Dario in 1888. Other notable authors include Francisco Villaespesa, Manuel Machado, Antonio Machado (who was influenced by it in Solitudes), and Juan Ramon Jimenez.

Key Features of Modernism

• Rejection of everyday life
• Search for formal perfection
• A search for beauty
• The importance of rhythm
• Lexical renewal
• Thematic external and privacy of the poet

The Generation of '98: A Response to Spain's Crisis

The Generation of '98 was a group of writers, essayists, and poets deeply affected by the moral and social-political crisis in Spain in the late 19th century. This crisis was accentuated by the loss of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines in 1898. Azorin, Pio Baroja, and Maeztu (known as the "Group of Three") rebelled in 1901 and protested against Spain's backwardness. They proposed ways to improve Spanish society.

Key Features of the Generation of '98

• Opposition to Restoration Spain
• Great interest in and love for Castile
• Creation of new forms
• Rejection of the aesthetics of realism
• Concise language, short syntax
• Pessimism is very present (as in Mariano Jose de Larra)
• Based on regenerationism (an intellectual movement of the 19th and 20th centuries that meditated objectively and scientifically about the causes of Spain's decline as a nation)
• Concerned with the lands of Spain and existential questions about human life, the passage of time, death, etc.
• Search for sobriety, using precise and effective language, and contempt for the exotic vocabulary of Modernism
• Prioritization of content and the message of ideas

Notable Authors of the Generation of '98

Besides Azorin, Baroja, and Maeztu, other prominent authors include Unamuno, Valle-Inclan, and Antonio Machado.

Antonio Machado (1875-1939)

In his works, we see a development from Modernism to a purity of form that is less decorative. He frequently used symbols. His most important works are Solitudes, Galleries and Other Poems and Campos de Castilla. The first is included in intimate Modernism, with themes of love, time, and the awareness of death and God. In Campos de Castilla, he reflects on the reality of Spain, its land, and its people. His style is characterized by the use of symbols, short sentences, and abundant adjectives. He uses the traditional verse form of romance.