Spanish Literary Movements: Novocentismo and Avant-Garde

Novocentismo and the Avant-Garde in Spain

Vanguardia (avant-garde) desired Novocentismo, renovation, and modernization, focusing on two movements: Novocentismo and the avant-garde.

Novocentismo

Authors belonging to this movement had a strong intellectual background. They were worried about the situation in Spain but discussed it differently than the Generation of '98 authors.

Authors

• The sharp José Ortega y Gasset disseminated new ideas through essays such as The Dehumanization of Art.
• Ramón Pérez de Ayala and Gabriel Miró.

The Avant-Garde

The avant-garde comprised artistic movements characterized by their eagerness to renovate art and culture.

Movements

• Futurism: Characterized by extolling the mechanical and technical civilization.
• Cubism: First in painting (Picasso), it proposed the geometric decomposition of reality. In literature, we find calligrams.
• Surrealism: Main driver was André Breton. This movement seeks to discover true reality through dreams and automatic writing, not under the control of reason.
• Creationism: Driven by Vicente Huidobro, who thought that poetry creates its own reality through images.
• Ultraism: Emerged in Spain, it is a summary of previous movements. Its main driver was the poet Guillermo de Torre. It introduced futuristic topics and typographic innovations.

Key Figures

Juan Ramón Jiménez (1881-1958)

An exemplary poet, he pursued beauty and profound meaning in his work. His career had three stages:

1. Early Work: Shows the influence of Modernismo. Works: Arias Tristes and Soledad Sonora.
2. Second Phase: Begins with Diario de un Poeta Recién Casado and introduces "pure" poetry: the poet aims to name the essential with the fewest possible words.
3. Final Phase: With Poesía Última, topics covered include the eternal, poetry, beauty, and the poet as a creator God. Works: Eternidades and Piedra y Cielo. He also wrote prose.

The Avant-Garde Literature

Ramón Gómez de la Serna (1888-1963)

He publicized the avant-garde in Spain through his magazine Prometeo. He wrote novels, essays, and theatrical works. He is especially noted as the creator of the greguería: a short, ingenious text that mixes humor with metaphor.

Other Notable Avant-Garde Figures

• Guillermo de Torre (Ultraism)
• Juan Larrea (Surrealism)