Modernism in Literature: Key Authors, Themes, and Evolution

Modernism

Modernism began in the late nineteenth century, originating in Latin America. It was created and disseminated by José Martí and Rubén Darío. The publication of Azul (Rubén Darío) in 1888 is considered the starting point of modernism.

Features

Modernist literature is characterized by its aestheticism, meaning it seeks beauty above all else. At that time, authors escaped reality in their works, speaking of the past, luxurious and refined or exotic civilizations. The themes expressed feelings like boredom and melancholy. They also used symbols, such as the swan or the owl, which became symbols of modernist aesthetics.

The Generation of 98

This was a group of authors born in the late nineteenth century who covered topics such as the decline of Spain and existential angst. Some prominent authors are: Miguel de Unamuno, Pío Baroja, Azorín, and Ramiro de Maeztu. Modernism influenced the thoughts of the era, and its authors frequently described symbolic and lyrical landscapes.

Modernist Poetry

The most prominent authors were:

• Rubén Darío: A Nicaraguan poet and the highest representative of modernism. His three major books of poetry are:
  • Azul: Prose and poetry that showcase aesthetic modernism with exotic images and brilliant musical meter.
  • Cantos de Vida y Esperanza: An intimate and reflective poetry collection where the author raises more crucial issues.
• Antonio Machado: A poet from Seville. He moved to Madrid, where he studied at a free institution of learning. In 1907, he became a professor of French at a secondary school in Soria. There, he fell in love with Leonor Izquierdo, whom he married in 1909. Leonor died in 1912, and he moved to Baeza. With a progressive ideology, he was exiled to France in 1939, where he died the same year.

Prose: Renewal of Narrative Forms

Modernist prose employs poetic and even musical language, for example, the Sonatas of Valle-Inclán. The authors of the Generation of 98 cultivated both the essay and the novel. In their essays, they addressed two major issues: the decline of the country and its existential concerns (the lead author of the essays is Unamuno). In novels, Unamuno, Pío Baroja, and Azorín stood out.

Theater

Modernist theater represented a break with the previous century's theater. The most representative author is Jacinto Benavente with Los intereses creados (Vested Interests) or La malquerida (The Unloved). The most innovative theater author was Valle-Inclán.

Authors

Miguel de Unamuno

An author from Bilbao, he lived in Salamanca, where he was a professor at the university. He stood out in essays and novels.

• In his essays, Unamuno alternated existentialist thought and reflection about Spain.
• In his novels, philosophical and intellectual content was paramount. In novels such as Niebla (Mist), the action is minimal, and there are many dialogues and inner monologues of the characters.

José Martínez Ruiz (Azorín)

He published articles, book reviews, essays, and novels. His novels include La voluntad (The Will) and Doña Inés. In his works, he gives much importance to the description of atmospheres and sensations. His novels are a succession of short, descriptive scenes.

Pío Baroja

Born in San Sebastián, he studied medicine in Madrid but devoted himself to literature. In his novels, he attached great importance to the plot and, therefore, the action. Among his novels are some works in which he renewed the genre of adventure literature, such as Shanti Andía or Zalacaín el aventurero (Zalacaín the Adventurer).

Valle-Inclán

Born in Villanueva de Arosa (Pontevedra), he went from being conservative in his youth to being a Republican in his later years. He was an excellent novelist. In his narrative work, Sonatas and Tirano Banderas (The Tyrant) stand out. But above all, he was a great innovator of the Spanish theater.

• Valle's Theater: There are two stages in Valle's drama:
  • The stage of modernist aesthetics.
  • The stage of the grotesque, a theatrical genre created by Valle-Inclán, based on a tragic and grotesque distortion of reality.