Spanish Literature: Realism, Naturalism, and Modernism

Spanish Realism and Naturalism

Armando Palacio Valdés

A realist, his novels often depict an idealized world (the valley, farmers, villages). He addresses the conflict in the mines when it arises in these settings, and values traditional life.

Work: The Lost Village

Pedro Antonio de Alarcón

His stories are well-constructed and possess great narrative force.

Work: The Three-Cornered Hat

Juan Valera

An educated man, he achieved his intended purpose in his artistic works. His novels explore amorous and religious conflicts, and feature thorough psychological analyses of their protagonists.

Works: Pepita Jiménez and Juanita la Larga

José María de Pereda

An academic and novelist with traditional ideas, he described the landscape of his homeland, Cantabria.

Works:

• Sotileza: Focuses on the lives of fishermen.
• Peñas Arriba: Set in the mountains, where the beauty and customs of generations of villagers ultimately conquer a young man from Madrid.

These three authors are considered idealist realists.

Naturalist Authors

Emilia Pardo Bazán

An author of short stories and novels, her novels were naturalistic, albeit softened by her religious beliefs. Her texts are notable for their descriptive force and careful style.

Novels:

• The Tribune
• Los Pazos de Ulloa: Explores the force of nature and human instincts, depicting the moral and physical decline of the rural aristocracy.
• Mother Nature: Centers on the love between two young people who did not know they were siblings.

Vicente Blasco Ibáñez

His works often feature Valencian settings and a naturalistic tone.

Works:

• Arroz y Tartana (Rice and Carriage): Depicts the decline of the Valencian bourgeoisie.
• La Barraca (The Cabin): Revenge drives a world that unfolds in the Valencian countryside.
• Cañas y Barro (Reeds and Mud): A tragic tale focused on life and love in the Albufera.
• Sangre y Arena (Blood and Sand): A novel about bullfighting.
• Los Cuatro Jinetes del Apocalipsis (The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse)

Modernism

This movement influenced both visual arts and literature. It developed especially in poetry but also in fiction and drama.

Characteristics

• Influenced by Romanticism, Symbolism, and French Parnassianism.
• Lexical renewal and vocabulary, including a large number of cultisms and neologisms, words with evocative sounds, and abundant literary adjectives.
• Frequently used resources: Anaphora, alliteration, metaphor, synesthesia, symbols, and images.
• Metrics: Alexandrine verses, dodecasyllables, free verse, invented stanzas, internal rhyme, antepenultimate words, strong rhythm, and musicality.
• Themes: Expression of the poet's inner feelings, often melancholy and sadness; evasion and flight to distant and exotic locations.

Rubén Darío

This Nicaraguan poet was a major figure in Spanish-language poetry during the first half of the 20th century.

Works:

• Azul (Blue): A collection of short stories and poems that marked the beginning of his Modernist path under French influence.
• Prosas Profanas (Profane Hymns): Emphasizes a new aesthetic in the verses, featuring exotic themes, elegant expression, colorful language, and rhythmic verses.
• Cantos de Vida y Esperanza (Songs of Life and Hope): Marked by greater spiritual intimacy and depth.

Manuel Machado

A member of the Royal Spanish Academy, his Modernist poetry is full of encouragement and Andalusian inspiration.

Works: Alma (Soul), Caprichos (Caprices), and Cante Hondo (Deep Song). He explored gallant themes such as love, history, and art. His poetry is characterized by its plasticity, cheerful and delicate tone, and suggestive texts.

Juan Ramón Jiménez

His extreme sensitivity influenced the development of his lyrical creations.

Sensitive Stage

His first stage encompassed varied poetry, influenced by Romanticism, Bécquer, and Modernist aesthetics, among others.

Works: Arias Tristes (Sad Arias), Jardines Lejanos (Distant Gardens), Elejías (Elegies), La Soledad Sonora (The Murmuring Solitude), and the book of poetic prose Platero y Yo (Platero and I).

Intellectual Stage

He pursued pure and intellectual poetry, striving for "le mot juste," the exact name of things.

Work: Diario de un Recién Casado (Diary of a Newly Married Poet).

Last Stage

In exile, he longed for perfection, beauty, eternity, and the true poetry of mysticism. The poet becomes identified with God in his own universe of eternity and poetic beauty.

Works: Dios Deseado y Deseante (God Desired and Desiring) and Animal de Fondo (Animal of Depth).