Spanish Poetry Evolution: From 1939 to Contemporary Trends

Lírica from 1939 to 1970

1. Generation of 1936

Poets emerged during the Spanish Civil War, which divided writers into two camps:

• Magazine Escorial and Garcilaso: Mostly right-wing Falangist poets. They aimed for a "human" poem, though some leaned toward neoclassicism. Notable figures include Ridruejo, Rosales, and José García Nieto.
• Magazine Proel, Espadaña, and Cántico: Proclaimed a social poem. Notable existentialist figures include Eugenio de Nora, Vittorio Ocampo, and José Luis Hidalgo.

2. Social Poetry

This movement focused on poetry written with urgency to raise awareness of social problems, injustice, and rebellion against oppression. The most outstanding representatives are Blas de Otero and Gabriel Celaya.

3. Aesthetic and Marginal Groups

• Cántico de Córdoba: Aimed to create highly elaborated, aesthetic poetry using careful language. Notable figures include Juan Bernier, Pablo García Baena, Ricardo Molina, and Julio Aumente.
• The Postismo: Moves between the tradition of César Vallejo, surrealist poetry, and social themes. Notable figures include Carlos Edmundo de Ory and Eduardo Chicharro.

4. Generation of 1950

Features:

• Expression of privacy and love.
• Refinement of poetic language.
• Concentration and expressive tension.
• Inclusion of anecdotes, civic themes, and ethics.

Key Poets:

• Ángel González: Ironic social poetry (Word on Word).
• José Ángel Valente: Poetry of silence (Memory and Signs).
• José Agustín Goytisolo: Autobiography (Words for Julia and Other Songs).
• Claudio Rodríguez: (Gift of Drunkenness).
• Francisco Brines: Influence of Cernuda (The Coals).

Lírica from 1970 to Today

1. Generation of 1970

Features:

• Emphasis on the verbal aspect and escaping sentimental reality.
• Use of prosaism and irony.
• Influence of film and mass media.
• Restrictive reading of tradition.

Key Poets:

• Juan Luis Panero: Over Time.
• Guillermo Carnero: A leading representative of "last things" (Drawing of Death).
• Pere Gimferrer: Arde el Mar.

2. Generation of 1980

Features:

• Diversity: A wide variety of authors and currents.
• Pastiche and Irony: Removal of classical patterns and themes.

Trends:

• Neoclassicism: Turns to the most audacious verses of the Avant-garde.
• Minimalism: Focuses on the essence of the "I."
• Poetry of Experience: With Gil de Biedma as the main model, focusing on ethics and social critique. Key figures: Luis García Montero and Felipe Benítez Reyes.
• Elegiac and Epic: Poetry disillusioned by a frustrating society, notably Julio Llamazares.