Post-War Catalan and Valencian Poetic Movements

Post-War Poetry Trends

Post-war poetry published during the conflict did not respond to a uniform style. You can find three main differences:

• 1. Symbolist poetry tradition: Within this trend, we find the poetry of Rosa Leveroni and Joan Vinyoli.
• 2. Avant-garde poetry tradition: Represented by Josep Palau i Fabre and Joan Brossa.
• 3. Realist tradition of poetry: From the 1960s, featuring authors such as Miquel Martí i Pol, Vicent Andrés Estellés, and Salvador Espriu.

1. The Symbolist Tradition

Within this movement, which is characterized by the continuation of styles already cultivated in the first third of the century, we highlight the following authors:

• Bartomeu Rosselló-Pòrcel (1913–1938): Known for his short but high-quality work.
• Rosa Leveroni (1910–1985): Her poetry is the successor of Carles Riba, using similar themes such as love and time.
• Màrius Torres (1910–1943): His poems were published in Mexico and show personal problems marked by an obsession with death.
• Joan Vinyoli (1914–1984): His poetic output is divided into two stages: the first is faithful to the masters like Riba, and the second represents his maturity.

2. The Avant-Garde Tradition

The tradition of avant-garde poetry is represented by:

• Josep Palau i Fabre (1917–2008): A versatile author who wrote plays, fiction, and poetry.
• Joan Brossa (1919–1998): The stages of his works include neosurrealism, everyday life and poetic commitment, conceptualization, and plastic work.

3. The Realist Tradition

This movement highlights the 1960s, often bearing a civil or social commitment. Notable authors include:

• Pere Quart (1899–1986)
• Salvador Espriu: His poetic production developed after the war and is characterized by a secrecy that facilitated passing censorship. Notable works include: Cementiri de Sinera, Les hores, Mrs. Death, El caminant i el mur, Final del laberint, and La pell de brau (a book that had a great impact).
• Miquel Martí i Pol: With his poetry, he brings the people into the stream of historical realism, represented by realistic procedures that the world recognizes. He describes the hardships of working life.

Post-War Valencian Poetry

The post-war period in Valencia includes writers born during the 1910s and 1920s who began to write clearly against the post-war climate and were involved with the Torre publishing group. Aesthetically, they are assigned to post-symbolism or realism. Notable authors include Xavier Casp, Joan Fuster, Joan Valls, and Vicent Andrés Estellés.

The latter is considered the greatest poet Valencia has produced since the 15th century. Within the predominant themes of his work, we highlight:

• Civic engagement: Where the author presents how to interpret the claims of his people.
• Love themes: Which are a constant in his work.
• Poetic language: Features include the use of a language closer to everyday speech, a focus on comparisons, a characteristic use of adjectivization, repetition, parody, metric compositions, the poem-confession, and the dialogue poem.