Spanish Poetry Movements: 1939 to 1962
The Poetry of the War (1939–1955)
The poets of the 1940s had already begun their work, with some releases occurring immediately before or during the war (e.g., Miguel Hernández, Luis Rosales). This period saw the emergence of new lines and new trends. A characteristic feature of these early developments is the variety of trends. Dámaso Alonso distinguished two main lines (Rooted Poetry and Uprooted Poetry), although we must add several others to this classification.
A) Rooted Poetry
Dámaso Alonso defined this as the poetry of authors who express themselves with a bright belief in the formal organization of reality. Within this trend, we find two groups of writers linked to two poetry magazines of the time: the Garcilaso Group and the El Escorial Group. The most significant author associated with this movement is José García Nieto.
Some of the features defended by this trend are:
- Vision of an orderly and optimistic reality.
- Classical metrics and forms.
- Traditional topics such as love or nature, alongside a strong religious sentiment.
In later years, some of these classical poets abandoned this style because of an ideological shift or the desire to seek new poetic forms.
B) Uprooted Poetry
The most significant writers of this trend are those of the Spire Group and some others, like Luis Rosales, Leopoldo Panero, or Blas de Otero in his earlier books.
The most characteristic features of the trend are:
- Tragic Tone and Topics: Suffering, distress, and existential anguish.
- Religion: Religious doubt, curses against God regarding human pain, and despair.
- Style: Characterized by its formal simplicity.
C) Postismo
Begun in 1945 by Carlos Edmundo de Ory, Postismo is a trend that continues the link with the avant-garde movements of the 1920s. It rejects the theme of existential angst as a poetic subject.
D) Miguel Labordeta
Miguel Labordeta created a form of poetry that also aligns with the avant-garde, characterized by rebellion and a language that closely resembles that of Surrealism.
E) Cántico Group
This is a group of poets from Córdoba (including Pablo García Baena) that continued the poetry of the Generation of '27, taking Luis Cernuda as their primary model.
Social Poetry (1955–1962)
Around the year 1955, Spanish poetry, like the novel and drama, became filled with social content. This trend was initiated by three major books:
- Vicente Aleixandre, Historia del corazón (History of the Heart)
- Blas de Otero, Pido la paz y la palabra (I Ask for Peace and the Word)
- Gabriel Celaya, Cantos iberos (Iberian Songs)
The most significant features of Social Poetry are:
- Poetry should take a stand against the world's problems.
- The poet must be in solidarity with other men.
- Poetry is an instrument, a tool with which to transform society.
- Technically, content takes precedence over form, utilizing a clear and simple language and a conversational tone.