Spanish Romanticism Figures and Literary Themes

Spanish Romanticism: Key Figures and Ideas

Enlightenment Precursors and Influences

• Father Feijoo: An illustrative professor who sought to challenge traditions and superstitions, introducing progressive European ideas to Spain.
• Jovellanos: A politician and lawyer known for his influential speeches and reports.
• Enlightened ideas traveled through figures like those met at the gallows, representing important intellectual currents. Padre Isla criticized seemingly pious Christians and faced persecution.
• Leandro Fernández de Moratín: The most representative figure of Spanish theater, holding pro-French sympathies.

Romanticism in Spain (1848–1897)

Romanticism in Spain represented the nationalization of European romantic trends, often deeply infused with Christian sentiment. It emphasized the capacity to create vivid imagery and the musicality of verse.

Major Romantic Poets and Writers

• Bécquer (1836–1870): His major themes included poetry, love, natural poetry, the expression of the soul's deepest feelings, smooth musicality, profound sensitivity, and intense melancholy.
• Espronceda (1808–1842): A liberal figure who created Numancia, symbolizing resistance against the absolutism of Ferdinand VII. His poetry is characterized by enthusiasm and despair, featuring fast, violent, and passionate tones in short poems (focusing on freedom, marginalized society) and longer works.
• Rosalía de Castro (1837–1885): A member of the Galician gentry, known for her delicate health, strong character, and great personality. She possessed deep empathy for the vulnerable and wrote as a poet and novelist in both Galician and Castilian Spanish.
• Mariano José de Larra (1809–1837): His father was a doctor to the Infante Don Francisco de Paula. Larra engaged in satirical journalism, initially publishing a monthly pamphlet under the pseudonym El Duende (during the absolute monarchy) and later in The Poor Talking in Spanish Magazine (a liberal newspaper) using the pseudonym Figaro. He committed suicide and received a massive burial. His prose possessed great clarity and force, attacking the state organization, Carlism, Marxism, and figures like the Duke of Rivas.
• Writer/Playwright (1791–1865): Known for the work Don Álvaro, or the Force of Fate.

Core Tenets of Romanticism

Romanticism emerged partly as a triumph of enlightened ideas, championed by figures like R. French.

The Romantic Spirit

• The Romantic individual is guided by feelings, rejects established laws, and champions freedom.
• They defend the outcast and misfits, dreaming of grand ideals.
• They seek escape to exotic or distant places through imagination or, tragically, through suicide, often resulting in profound sadness.

Dominant Themes

Key themes addressed by Romantic writers included:

• Celebration of national and regional identity.
• Love (often viewed from a negative or painful perspective).
• Existential questions.
• Political and social critique.