Noucentisme and Avant-Garde Movements in Spanish Literature

Noucentisme

Features of Noucentisme

• Intellectualism: Defend rationality and intellectual rigor, usually possessing a strong background.
• European Influence: Advocate for the intellectual modernization of Spain and its connection to European culture.
• Cultural and Political Presence: Utilize positions of power to influence society.
• Universalist Ideal: Demonstrate a preference for urban culture.
• Aestheticism: Art is conceived as a self-sufficient and beautiful object: pure art, detached from sentimentality and realism, inspired by classical models.
• Formal Concern: Admire the intellectual rigor of well-executed work, and value art and intellectual minorities.

Avant-Garde Movements

The avant-garde movements and isms originated in Europe around World War I and flourished in the 1920s, quickly gaining traction in Spain. Magazines and talk shows proliferated, with prominent figures like Ramon Gomez de la Serna and Vicente Huidobro leading the way.

The most developed avant-garde movements were Creationism and Surrealism. Additionally, the native avant-garde movement known as Ultraism emerged.

The avant-garde movement concluded in the 1930s when many avant-garde poets embraced a committed and humane approach.

Birth and Rise of Modernism (1908-1925)

Ultraism and Creationism thrived, incorporating the playful and lively tone of the Dadaists and the Futurists' admiration for machines and speed. Dehumanized art was valued.

Creationism

Launched by Vicente Huidobro, Creationism champions the creative potential of images, asserting that poetry is creation and each poem is a world built through juxtaposed images.

Ultraism

Ultraist literature centers on metaphor, aiming to capture reality through fragmented and illogical perceptions and images. It blends Cubist, Dadaist, and Futurist influences.

Surrealism and Rehumanization (1926-1936)

Surrealism marked the beginning of rehumanization, reflecting emotions, anxieties, and rebellion against modern society. It became the most influential movement within the Generation of '27.

Ramon Gomez de la Serna

Ramon Gomez de la Serna was a central figure in the avant-garde. His notable contribution lies in his Greguerías, which he defined as a blend of humor and metaphor. These are short, witty pairings that transform reality. The metaphor is based on a bold, unexpected, unusual, and humorous approach. Some are inconsequential, others lyrical, and some are jokes. They reflect the era's revaluation of metaphor and modernism.