Noucentisme and the Generation of 1914: Literary Figures and Avant-Garde Movements

Noucentisme (Generation of 1914) - Key Authors

The Essay Genre and Ortega y Gasset

The essay is a genre developed by the Noucentisme authors, including figures like Eugenio d'Ors (Eugenio Manuel d'Ors). However, José Ortega y Gasset stands out, covering topics ranging from philosophy to politics. His major works include The Revolt of the Masses and The Dehumanization of Art. In the latter work, he develops the principles of Renaissance art.

Prominent Noucentisme Authors

Gabriel Miró

His novels are characterized by intellectual art, high lyricism, and minimal action.

Ramón Pérez de Ayala

Known for novels with little action, often closely resembling slightly fictionalized essays.

Ramón Gómez de la Serna and the Avant-Garde

Ramón Gómez de la Serna has a very unique and avant-garde production. He is considered the introducer of the Vanguards (Avant-Garde movements) in Spain during the second and third decades of the twentieth century.

Throughout the Western world, experimental art trends developed with the aim of exploring new artistic paths. These movements were usually very short-lived:

• Futurism
• Cubism
• Ultraísmo
• Other avant-garde creations

These movements met with varying degrees of success, with Surrealism being particularly highlighted.

Juan Ramón Jiménez (JRJ)

Juan Ramón Jiménez, originally from Huelva, is the main poet of his generation. He died at 58. He suffered from mood disorders throughout his life, which sometimes required admission to mental health facilities. His marriage to Zenobia Camprubí had a positive influence. Their relationship was intense; following Zenobia's death, JRJ was plunged into deep despair and survived only a few months afterward. He received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1956.

Stages of Juan Ramón Jiménez's Work

His work is typically divided into three stages:

1. Sensitive Stage: Characterized by an Art Nouveau style and intimate themes. His first works include Arias Tristes and Jardines Lejanos.
2. Intellectual Stage: He refined his style, removing modernist elements considered superfluous, striving for pure poetry devoid of artifice. This stage begins with Diario de un poeta recién casado and concludes with Estación Total, which anticipates the third stage.
3. Sufficient Stage: During this period, his aversion to formal artifice was so extreme that he considered converting all his previous work into poetic prose, disregarding even verse structure. The themes are metaphysical and even mystical. Key works include Animal de fondo and Dios deseado y deseante.

In addition to his poetry, he is the author of the famous book of intimate poetic modernism, Platero y Yo.