Spanish Literary Generations of 1898 and 1927

Generación del 98: Characteristics and Authors

Characteristics:

• Critical of Spanish society and characterized by exalted patriotism (the subject of Spain).
• A desire for Spain to integrate into Europe.
• Influenced by teachers such as Góngora and Berceo.
• A simple style utilizing traditional and regional words.
• Existential concern regarding the meaning of life.

Prominent Authors of the 98 Generation

• Angel Ganivet: From Granada, known for Spanish Idearium (Idearium español).
• Miguel de Unamuno: From Bilbao. His work includes poetry like The Christ of Velázquez, "Nivolas" such as Fog (Niebla) and Aunt Tula (La tía Tula), and theater like The Sphinx.
• Pío Baroja: From San Sebastián, known for novels set in cities and the Basque country.
• Azorín: From Alicante, noted for descriptive prose in The Will and Confessions of a Young Philosopher.
• Antonio Machado (AM): From Sevilla, focusing on topics of individualism and solidarity.
• Valle-Inclán: From Pontevedra. His work spans several phases:
  • Poetry: Kif Pipe (La pipa de kif).
  • Phase 1 (Modernism): Sonatas (reminiscent of D. Juan Tenorio).
  • Phase 2 (Plays): Barbarian comedies like Eagle Blazon and Romance de lobos.
  • Phase 3 (Farcical Humor): Works that ridicule marriage and social classes, such as Sham and Rodeo is Licensed by the Queen (Farsa y licencia de la Reina Castiza).
  • Phase 4 (Esperpentos): Grotesque distortion of reality seen in Divine Words and Bohemian Lights (Luces de bohemia).

Theater in the 98 Generation

In the genre of Theater, Unamuno was less prominent, while Valle-Inclán was a major figure. Other notable mentions include:

• Poetic Theater: Eduardo Marquina.
• Bourgeois Comedy: Jacinto Benavente (Mrs. Anna, The Unloved).
• Popular Customs: Carlos Arniches (Caciques).
• Funny Theater: Pedro Muñoz Seca (known for his "Extremadura touch" or astracán).
• Innovative Theater: Valle-Inclán (Scarecrows) and Federico García Lorca (tragicomedies).

Generación del 27: Characteristics and Themes

Characteristics: This generation emerged from a liberal, cultured, and European environment with a wide literary background and solid friendships. They looked to masters like Bécquer, Quevedo, and Góngora. They emphasized the importance of popular songs and lyrics, the use of metaphors, and were influenced by Neruda regarding themes of death, anxiety, and love.

Themes: The city, despair, and pain.

Classification of the 27 Generation

1. Poesía Neopopularista: Rafael Alberti (Marinero en tierra) and Federico García Lorca (Gypsy Ballads).
2. Poesía Surrealista: Vicente Aleixandre (The Destruction or Love) and Luis Cernuda (Where Oblivion Dwells).
3. Poesía Pure and Intellectual: Pedro Salinas (The Voice Due to You) and Jorge Guillén (Cry/Cántico).
4. Poesía Classical and Religious: Gerardo Diego (Lark Really) and Dámaso Alonso (Man and God).

These authors are characterized by being "cold and dehumanized" poets, creating a minority art that stylizes reality as a reaction against the past.

Key Authors and Poetic Styles

• Pedro Salinas: His poetic process involves: 1. Capture reality, 2. Meet, 3. Comprise, 4. Transform, 5. Apprehend, and 6. Express. His love process includes: 1. Passion of love, 2. Absence of the beloved, 3. Melancholy of inevitable separation, and 4. Disaffection. His style is a long lament searching for living and formal beauty.
• Jorge Guillén: A pure or intellectual poet whose theme is a song to life (Air Supplied/Aire nuestro). His style is elaborate, with a heavy use of nouns.
• Federico García Lorca: His themes focus on the dramatic nature of man. His style is a symbology of cult-popular elements. Topics include life-death, erotic love, fatality, and Andalusia. Major works include Gypsy Ballads and A Poet in New York.
• Luis Cernuda: His central theme is the struggle between Desire (love) and Reality (the destructive forces of the world). Works include The Reality and Desire and The Clouds. His style utilizes free verse and symbolism.
• Dámaso Alonso: His theme is a continuous, desperate search for God. Notable works include Children of Wrath and Man and God.