Romanticism in Spanish Literature: Key Authors & Themes

Poetry

The poetry of this era is characterized by:

• Addressing issues of loneliness, failure, and the bittersweet nature of life. It expresses a hopeless and bitter rebellion.
• Romantic narrative poetry that makes use of freedom in metrics.
• An abundance of night images, cemeteries, and destructive and violent nature.

José de Espronceda (1808 - 1842)

• Lived an idealistic life typical of a Romantic artist.
• Was a radical liberal who met in exile in England and France.
• His poetry is inspired by marginal characters and social outcasts.
• Notable work: The Student of Salamanca, which tells the story of Felix de Montemar, a seductive devil who seduces Donna Elvira. She dies for love, and Felix's brother is killed. One night, Felix meets his own funeral taking place in a macabre scene, dancing with the ghost of Donna Elvira.

Theatre

Key themes include:

• Legends, historical dramas, and idealistic and passionate lovers facing opposition from society and powerful forces.
• Characters often belong to higher social classes, are exalted and mysterious rebels, and are marked by their tragic condition.
• Innovative use of mixed verse and prose, colloquial language, and a blend of comedy and tragedy.
• Surprising environments such as monasteries, castles, and cemeteries, creating a mysterious atmosphere to impress the viewers.

José Zorrilla (1817 - 1893)

He draws on historical and legendary themes. His most popular work is Don Juan Tenorio. The libertine Don Juan is a rogue who has killed Don Gonzalo, the father of Dona Ines, a young woman he has seduced. In a macabre scene, Don Gonzalo, in statue form, announces Don Juan's imminent doom and demands repentance. Don Juan dies condemned by his pride.

Late Romanticism

Characteristics include:

• Excessive rhetoric.
• Romantic shorthand with elements filled with pathetic, absurd actions, reflected in a bombastic and unconvincing style.
• Later attempts to correct these excesses and internalize the language of poetry. Shared values, but used symbols inspired by elements of nature.
• Simpler but more intense literary language, with poetic expression obtained through images and arguments that evoke the drama of human beings confronted with the mysteries of love, heartbreak, loneliness, and death.

Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer (1836 - 1870)

His work is extensive. He wrote prose tales of mystery known as Legends, with medieval-inspired environments, distinguished by the intense evocative capacity of his descriptions.

In verse, his Rhymes had an immense influence on later poetic language. These 86 short poems express, through a poetic language based on symbolism, the themes of love, loneliness, death, and poetry.