Spanish Poetry After the Civil War: A Literary Divide

The Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) was a tragic conflict that profoundly divided the 20th century. Despite the turmoil, Spanish literature experienced an era of grandeur, particularly in poetry. This period led some to speak of a second Silver Age or Golden Age, as authors from the Generations of '98 and '14 were still publishing, and the Generation of '27 was at its peak.

The War's Impact on Poets and Literature

The war brought death to some, like Federico García Lorca, and forced others into exile, including Juan Ramón Jiménez, León Felipe, Luis Cernuda, and Jorge Guillén. For those who remained, censorship became a pervasive reality.

"Rooted Poetry": Neoclassicism and Tradition

Among the poets who stayed in Spain, a logical "regulatory unity" emerged. This involved the acceptance of a neoclassical poetry that embraced traditional forms, such as the sonnet and metaphor. It often addressed themes considered inherently "poetic," including love, religion, and patriotism. This poetry frequently presented a vision of imperial and religious Spain, which could sometimes feel like hollow rhetoric, detached from the specific circumstances of the time and lacking social criticism.

Dámaso Alonso termed this trend "rooted poetry." It developed around journals with evocative titles referencing past glories, such as El Escorial and Garcilaso. Its proponents considered themselves the Creative Youth, including poets like Luis Rosales, Leopoldo Panero, and Dionisio Ridruejo.

"Uprooted Poetry": Existentialism and Social Awareness

This "rooted" vision coexisted with another poetic movement that reacted against the formalist excesses of the previous group. This new trend employed a direct, everyday language, breaking down the barriers of conventional "poetic language." Metrically, free verse and unrhymed verses were preferred to express the existential malaise of the era and a nascent social awareness. The religious theme, in this context, took on an existential tone, filled with invocations to a silent God amidst human suffering. As Víctor Cremer famously put it, it was about "less perfection and more screaming."

This group flourished in provincial magazines like León and Espadaña, featuring authors such as Víctor Cremer and Eugenio de Nora.

Seminal Works of Post-War Spanish Poetry

Dámaso Alonso's Hijos de la ira (Children of Wrath), published in 1944, is a seminal work of what is known as "uprooted poetry." In the same year, Vicente Aleixandre, another poet of the Generation of '27 who had remained in Spain, published Sombra del Paraíso (Shadow of Paradise). These two titles became key references, shaping the future development of Spanish poetry.