Spanish Post-War Poetry: Trends, Poets, and Literary Movements

The Spanish Civil War's Impact on Literature

The Spanish Civil War caused a radical break in the literary field. Some poets, such as Federico García Lorca, died in the war or as a result of it, like Miguel Hernández. Others, such as Luis Cernuda, went into exile, while others, like Vicente Aleixandre, continued their work in Spain. Moreover, new trends emerged that would shape generations of poetry in these decades.

Rooted Poetry: Themes of Victory and Tradition

In the early forties, poetry returned to classic themes such as love, religion, and homeland, and incorporated new themes like the meaning of the imperial state. This was poetry for and by the victors of the war, often termed 'rooted poetry'. Notable poets of this trend include Dionisio Ridruejo, Leopoldo Panero, and Luis Rosales, whose work La casa encendida (The Burning House) stands out as one of the best lyrical works of the postwar period. Poetry magazines that featured this type of poetry were Escorial and Garcilaso.

Uprooted Poetry: Existentialism and Disillusionment

In 1944, two important works of poetry were published:

• Hijos de la ira (Children of Wrath) by Dámaso Alonso, a poet associated with the Generation of '27. This book gave rise to the so-called 'uprooted poetry,' which was not supported by reassuring experiences such as religion, homeland, or family. This book is also associated with the existentialism characteristic of the 1940s.
• Sombra del Paraíso (Shadow of Paradise) by Vicente Aleixandre, another poet of the Generation of '27. This work marked another direction for poetry of this period, expressing pain from the perspective of a lost paradise and humanity's deviation from its destiny.

Socially Engaged Poetry and the Magazine Espadaña

In the middle of this decade, another radically different magazine emerged: Espadaña (Cattail), founded by Victoriano Crémer and Eugenio de Nora. This magazine featured socially engaged poetry, seeking to reflect the harsh reality of the war, explicitly addressing the Civil War and the pain of the defeated.

Key Poets of the 1950s

The three great poets of the 1950s include:

• Blas de Otero, who, in his books Ángel fieramente humano (Fiercely Human Angel) and Redoble de conciencia (Drumbeat of Conscience), revolted against the religious poetry of his time and the traditional image of God.
• Gabriel Celaya, pseudonym of Rafael Múgica, is also associated with social poetry, especially his book Cantos Ibéricos (Iberian Songs), characterized by its direct and prosaic expression.

Alternative Poetic Movements and Connections

Apart from these major trends and poets, there were other early postwar poetic attempts at reform.

Postismo: Playful Language and Artistic Freedom

Among them was Postismo, cultivated by Eduardo Chicharro and Carlos Edmundo de Ory. They sought a poetry that was a game, with no ideological commitment, characterized by rich language and astonishing creations.

Surrealism, Social Concern, and the Cántico Group

Some poets, such as Miguel Labordeta, created original and fantastic poetry, closely related to Surrealism, but also associated with social concern. Furthermore, the Córdoba magazine Cántico showed a willingness to connect with the immediate past (the Generation of '27) and with the more remote past, especially with Góngora. Pablo García Baena is the best-known poet of this group.