Noucentisme: Catalan Cultural and Political Movement

Noucentisme: A Cultural and Political Overview

Noucentisme was a cultural and political movement that began with the creation of Catalan Solidarity (1906) and ended with the coup d'état of 1923.

Key Figures of Noucentisme

Eugeni d'Ors

Eugeni d'Ors was a key ideologue of the movement. Born in Barcelona in 1881, he studied philosophy and letters. He wrote under the pseudonym 'Xenius'. After the death of Prat de la Riba, he resigned from his government positions. He then began to write in Spanish. He died in Vilanova i la Geltrú in 1954. One of his best-known genres was the 'glosa,' a short, daily article published in an intellectual voice, aiming to bring a certain gleam to the world. His most prestigious works include La ben plantada, which presents the ideal woman, and Gualba, la de les mil veus, which tells a story for a girl immersed in nature.

Josep Carner

Josep Carner was born in Barcelona in 1884 and entered the world of literature at a young age. At twelve, he published his first poetry, Laureneta. He studied law, philosophy, and literature and became involved in Catalan politics. In 1939, following pressure from Franco, he was exiled to Mexico and worked as a teacher. His best-known work is Els fruits saborosos, a lighthouse tour of all stages of a person's life. He was named the 'Prince of Poets'.

Joaquim Folguera

Joaquim Folguera was a poet and literary critic who wrote only one book, Poemes Transparentes (1916), but it was enough to be considered one of the main Noucentista poets.

James Bofill i Mates

James Bofill i Mates was born in Olot in 1878. He was a poet, journalist, and politician of the twentieth century. He studied philosophy and letters. He died in Barcelona in 1933.

Carles Riba i Bracons

Carles Riba i Bracons was born in Barcelona in 1893. He was very interested in languages and translated a poem in Latin by Virgil. He studied philosophy and letters (forced by his family). He married Clementina Arderiu, a poet, and they had four children. He was a professor of literature, a Greek teacher, and a translator. In 1939, following the entry of Franco's troops, he was exiled to France and returned in 1943. He died in Barcelona in 1959. Riba is one of the most important postwar writers and one of the most important figures in twentieth-century Catalan literature. His early works show some modernist influences. His first book, Estances (1919), is a work of love. His second book, Segones Estances (1930), touches on themes such as fate and love. His most notable work is Elegies de Bierville, written during his exile in Bierville, near Paris.