The Poetic Evolution of Vicente Aleixandre and Rafael Alberti

Vicente Aleixandre: Themes and Poetic Stages

In Aleixandre's poetry, despite its diversity and thematic variations, a common thought has persisted: the unity of love in the world in its various manifestations.

Three Main Poetic Stages

Aleixandre's poetic output is generally classified into three major stages:

First Stage: Surrealism and Liberation

This stage includes poems in prose such as Espadas como labios, Passion of the Land, Destruction or Love, World Travelers, The Shadow of Paradise, and Last Birth. At this point, the surrealist influence is evident in the freedom of expression and the desire for personal liberation. The primary topics covered are: the exaltation of nature, love and eroticism, and death.

Second Stage: Human Connection

Works from this period include: Stories of the Heart, Encounters, In a Vast Domain, and Portraits.

Third Stage: Aging and Knowledge

In this final phase, the central subject is aging, alongside profound thoughts on knowing and knowledge. Key works include: Poems and Dialogues: Consummation of Knowledge.

Style and Metrics in Aleixandre's Poetry

Some stylistic features of his poetry are:

• The use of the conjunction 'or' for identification value.
• The use of denial when mentioning qualities.
• Repetitions and parallels.
• Vivid images and comparisons.
• Lists of words designating elements of the world.

Regarding metrics, free verse predominates, often utilizing lines of varying measures.

Rafael Alberti: Aesthetic Trends and Creative Phases

Alberti's extensive body of work offers a literary itinerary that cultivates various aesthetic trends. The most important phases of his creation are detailed below:

Major Creative Phases

1. Neopopularism

   In this initial stage, Alberti recreates traditional lyric and classical poetry. His work Marinero en tierra (Sailor on Land) focuses intensely on the theme of the sea.

2. Baroque and Avant-garde

   The poems collected in Cal y Canto (Lime and Song) are the result of a brief period influenced by the work of Góngora and the avant-garde movements.

3. Surrealism

   Works like Sobre los ángeles (Concerning the Angels) and Sermons and Purple express the anguish and devastation caused by a deep spiritual crisis.

4. Social Poetry and Politics

   This phase includes works that express the poet's social and political interests: his commitment to the revolution, his attacks on capitalism, and his defense of the oppressed. Key works emphasized here are The Poet on the Street and From One Moment to Another.

5. Poetry of Exile

   This period is marked by the longing for the homeland, nostalgia for lost assets, and the prevailing situation of the exile, as seen in Return of the Living Far Away.

In his last books, Alberti reflects on the world around him, eroticism, and the pleasure of living over time.

Style and Metrics in Alberti's Poetry

Alberti's style reflects the diversity of his work, ranging from the simplicity of Neopopulist and social poetry to the artifice and complexity of his Baroque and avant-garde periods. Some general features include:

• A strong tendency toward repetition and parallelism.
• The importance of sensory expressions and vivid imagery.

Regarding metrics, Alberti employs both traditional forms (both educated and popular types) and free verse.