Noucentisme: Shaping Catalan Culture and Identity

Noucentisme, a name associated with the early 20th century, marked a new era in Catalan culture. While primarily a literary movement, it was underpinned by a government with a clear cultural agenda. This significant Catalan political and cultural initiative, championed by figures like Enric Prat de la Riba, was supported by Pompeu Fabra and Eugeni d'Ors. Their government was instrumental in modernizing Catalan political language and culture. Enric Prat de la Riba, in particular, championed orthographic reforms, building upon earlier efforts from the Renaixença to revitalize the language after periods of decline.

Noucentisme, notably through the work of Pompeu Fabra, normalized Catalan spelling rules, leading to the creation of a standardized dictionary. This initiative was strongly supported by the bourgeoisie. During Noucentisme, writers often aligned themselves with the bourgeoisie, supporting their ascent to power, a notable shift from previous periods where writers might have opposed them. Noucentisme aimed to establish a model of Catalonia as a cultured, orderly, bourgeois, and refined nation. The primary platform for disseminating these ideas was the influential newspaper La Veu de Catalunya (The Voice of Catalonia), where Eugeni d'Ors frequently published.

Origins and Core Principles

The concept of Noucentisme was coined by Eugeni d'Ors and first published on January 1, 1906, in La Veu de Catalunya. It advocated for the creation of a professional intellectual class, emphasizing technical poetry and structured teaching.

Chronology and Key Institutions

Early Period: 1900 - 1913

• Enric Prat de la Riba: President of the Provincial Council of Barcelona.
• Eugeni d'Ors: Prolific writer known for his Glosses.
• Josep Carner: Author of Els fruits saborosos (The Tasty Fruits), featuring themes like 'Temps passat' (Past Time) and 'Dia feliç' (Happy Day).
• Pompeu Fabra: Published standardized Catalan spelling rules in 1913.
• Institut d'Estudis Catalans (IEC): Creation of the Institute of Catalan Studies.

Later Period: 1914 - 1923

• Mancomunitat de Catalunya: Establishment of the Commonwealth of Catalonia.
• Cultural Infrastructure: Development of a network of public libraries and training for school librarians across Catalonia.
• Educational Initiatives: Founding of Teacher Training Schools and Schools of Arts and Crafts.
• Pompeu Fabra: Published the comprehensive Catalan Grammar in 1918.

Ideological Pillars of Noucentisme

• Europeanism: An open-minded approach, fostering connections with European intellectual and cultural currents.
• Possibilism: Advocating for continuous reform rather than revolution, focusing on achievable progress.
• Pragmatism: Emphasizing short-term, practical goals and a rejection of abstract idealism.
• Classicism and Mediterraneanism: Highlighting Catalonia's deep roots in classical Mediterranean culture, often reflected in poetic descriptions of landscapes.
• Arbitrarism: Upholding order and rules, aiming to streamline and refine natural processes.
• Civilism or Civility: Promoting the city as a product of reason and order, a symbol of civilization. This ideal was reflected in poetry describing clean streets, beautiful buildings, and orderly gardens, signifying rationality and sanity. This urban focus also led to the expansion of cultural institutions, with libraries appearing in towns and villages.

Noucentisme vs. Modernism

Noucentisme presented a distinct contrast to the preceding Modernist movement:

• Modernism: Characterized by ruralism, spontaneity, and romanticism.
• Noucentisme: Emphasized civic values, arbitrarism, and classicism.

Characteristics of Noucentista Poetry

Noucentista poetry was characterized by a careful and balanced approach. Poets aimed for a certain distancing, making their work less intimate and striving for a classicist, stark, yet simple beauty. Influenced by Parnassianism and Symbolism, it valued quality and the symbolic depth of a text. There was a strong passion for Greek, Latin, and medieval influences. It also involved the reworking of cultured folk themes, where popular forms and subjects were refined through the Noucentista filter. The Noucentista poet was typically a perfectionist. Josep Carner was to Noucentisme what Joan Maragall was to Modernism.

Legacy and Succession

Following Noucentisme, the literary landscape saw the rise of Post-Symbolism.