Spanish Literature: Generation of '27 and Post-War Novels

The Generation of '27

The Generation of '27 is a group of Spanish poets who gathered in 1927 to pay homage to Luis de Góngora on the tercentenary of his death.

Features:

• Re-addition of Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer, whom these poets, along with Juan Ramón Jiménez, would recognize as a precursor to their "naked poetry."
• These poets recovered the Spanish folk tradition while also embracing the avant-garde.
• They felt the influence of early avant-garde movements like Ultraism and Creationism.
• Regarding metrics, they used traditional stanzas such as romances, ballads, sonnets, and silvas, and they can be considered initiators of free verse.
• There is also the classic footprint of Bécquer and Góngora.
• Their poetry is transcendent, human, and passionate.
• Their social and political concerns led them to become personally involved, with all being supporters of the Republic.

Trends Followed by These Authors:

• Popular poetry
• Surrealist poetry
• Neo-romantic poetry
• Pure poetry

Federico García Lorca

Biography

Born in Fuente Vaqueros, Federico García Lorca studied philosophy and literature. At the Residencia de Estudiantes, he met Salvador Dalí, Luis Buñuel, and other poets from the Generation of '27. He led the theater company "La Barraca," bringing classical theater to the people of Spain. He was assassinated during the Spanish Civil War.

Work

• Poetry:
  • Cultivated popular lyricism: Gypsy Ballads, Poem of the Deep Song.
  • Cultivated surrealist poetry: Poet in New York.
• Theater:
  • Tragedies: Blood Wedding, The House of Bernarda Alba.
  • Farces: The Shoemaker's Prodigious Wife.

Rafael Alberti

Biography

Born in El Puerto de Santa María in 1902, Rafael Alberti was a Spanish poet and playwright. He moved to Madrid at a young age, where he initially pursued painting. In 1924, he published his first book, Marinero en tierra. In 1931, he joined the Communist Party. After the defeat of the Republic in the Spanish Civil War, he went into exile in Argentina and Rome. In 1977, he returned to Spain and was elected deputy in the first democratic Cortes.

Work

• First Stage: Marinero en tierra, The Lover
• Second Stage: Sobre los ángeles
• Third Stage: Poet in the Street
• Fourth Stage: Themes of nostalgia and exile

The Novel Since 1936

The novel is the most developed genre by authors after the Civil War. Two converging themes in the novel are the Civil War and the description of the economic and moral misery that plagued Spain after the war.

• 1940s: Tremendista realist novel, characterized by its focus on miserable surroundings and the crudest aspects of human life: The Family of Pascual Duarte, Nothing.
• 1950s: Social novel, denouncing social injustice: The Hive, The Jarama.
• 1960s: Experimental novel. Writers incorporated new narrative techniques: Time of Silence, Five Hours with Mario.
• 1970s: A period of transition to democracy and the beginning of economic development: The Saga/Fugue of J.B.
• 1980s: A return to more traditional narrative forms: Crime, comic.
• 1990s: A good time for the development of different narrative currents: Memoirs, historical, poetic, intrigue.

Miguel Delibes

Biography

Born in Valladolid, Miguel Delibes' professional work focused on journalism, teaching, and literature. He received several awards, including the National Literature Prize, the Critics' Prize, and the Cervantes Prize. Since 1975, he has been a member of the Royal Spanish Academy. He is a simple person who shuns the spotlight.

Work

• First Stage: The Path, The Rats
• Second Stage: The Heretic, The Holy Innocents

Camilo José Cela

Notable works include: The Family of Pascual Duarte, The Hive, Journey to the Alcarria.