Spanish and Latin American Literary Movements: 19th and 20th Centuries

Avant-Garde

In 1910 came the so-called avant-garde or "isms," which include: Creationism, of Hispanic origin, sought to create reality within the work itself, and Surrealism, of French origin, was intended to express emotions and subconscious thoughts.

The New Novel of the Century

Prominent authors include Marcel Proust, Franz Kafka, and James Joyce.

Novecentismo

In the second decade of the twentieth century, there emerged a group known as the "Generation of '14," who were known for their intellectualism, their eagerness for Europe, and their search for pure art. The chief representative is Juan Ramón Jiménez, who wrote poetry.

Novecentista Novel

It is characterized by lyrical descriptive passages and the presence of essayistic elements. These works mainly deal with reflection and the portrayal of characters and their environments. Among the authors of the Generation of '14, Gabriel Miró and Ramón Pérez de Ayala stand out, but also include Ramón Gómez de la Serna, who was the main introducer of the vanguards in Spain and the creator of "greguerías."

Novecentista Essay

The author José Ortega y Gasset stressed, profoundly influencing the authors of '27.

Generation of '27

In the 1920s, there emerged a group of writers known as the Generation of '27. It is so called because they met in 1927 to commemorate the tercentenary of the death of Luis de Góngora. They were characterized by mixing avant-garde with tradition. Prominent authors include Federico García Lorca, Rafael Alberti, Luis Cernuda, Pedro Salinas, Jorge Guillén, Dámaso Alonso, Gerardo Diego, and Vicente Aleixandre.

Romanticism

Characterized by defending freedom of expression and giving importance to originality and the individual, their works were also characterized by: rebellion, questioning the morals and values of the time; evasion, remembering times past and remote locations; projection in nature, expressing feelings through nature; and nationalism, an interest in traditions.

Romantic Poetry

It uses polimetry (mixed verses of varying length). The themes are ideal love, passion, and loneliness, and it often uses rhetorical language. There are two types of poetry:

• The lyric: Expresses the feelings and worldview of the poet. Prominent authors include José de Espronceda, Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer, and Rosalía de Castro.
• The narrative: Stories based on legends. José de Espronceda stood out.

Romantic Drama

Usually, the main character is a mysterious hero marked by an inevitable and tragic fate, and the events used to happen in gloomy places.

Realism

It is characterized by: interest in reality and everyday life, dealing with subjects of their own time, a search for objectivity and realism, the critical presence of the author, the use of the omniscient narrator, a sober and simple style, and careful recreation of the characters' speech. The most prominent authors were Juan Valera, José María de Pereda, Clarín, and Benito Pérez Galdós.

Modernism

It is an art movement that originated in late 19th-century Latin America. The authors created and disseminated it, and José Martí and Rubén Darío. It is characterized by: the quest for beauty above all, it evades reality. The themes are apathy, melancholy, and so on. It uses symbolic elements.

Modernist Poetry

Two authors noted: Rubén Darío and Antonio Machado.

Modernist Prose

It is characterized by poetic and even musical language.

Generation of '98

A group of authors born in the late 19th century. Their texts are characterized by issues such as the decline of Spain and existential anguish. The authors highlighted were Miguel de Unamuno, Pío Baroja, José Martínez Ruiz (Azorín), and Ramiro de Maeztu. The authors describe a lot of the Castilian landscape as symbolic and lyrical.

Prose

In their essays, they dealt with two major themes: the decline of the country's situation and their existential concerns.