Spanish Literature Final

Futurismo

obsession with speed, machines, modern life.

dadaísmo

nonsense, anti-art, rejection of logic

Surrealismo

subconscious, dreams, irrationality.

Greguerías

Frase breve que mezcla humor y metáfora para expresar una idea ingeniosa o una observación sorprendente sobre la vida cotidiana.

Characteristics of Generation 14

aire intelectual, estilo cuidado, interés por la cultura y ciencia.

Juan Ramón Jiménez characteristics

Emphasized intellectualism, balance, precision, and rational thought

Platero y yo (1914) – prose poems about a donkey, reflection on life and death.

creacionismo

the poet creates new realities, not descriptions.

ultraísmo

led by Borges and others in Spain; aimed to strip poetry of ornament and sentimentality.

The Generation of 1927 characteristics

mix of tradition and innovation, heavy use of metaphor and symbolism

Federico García Lorca themes

death, repression, marginalization, love

Garcia Lorca symbols

Moon (death), Horse (sexuality), water (life or death), Green (desire, danger)

Miguel Hernandez themes and works

Republican side

Combines popular tradition with personal and political themes.

Wrote Nanas de la cebolla (Lullaby of the Onion) from prison – emotional and tragic

Letter for his wife who was struggling to eat during the Spanish Civil War

Nationalist Side

focused on ideological support of Franco’s regime

1940s Poesía Arraigada

Tone: Optimistic, harmonious, serene.

Context: Favored by Franco’s regime; aligned with official ideology.

Representative Poets: Luis Rosales, Leopoldo Panero, Dionisio Ridruejo.

It reflects a Catholic, traditional, and harmonious vision of the world — exactly what Franco’s regime promoted.

1940s Poesía Desarraigada

Tone: Anguished, existential, darker, more raw.

Context: A reaction against the official optimism; reflects post-war trauma.

1950s – Social Realism

Poetry becomes a tool for denouncing injustice and expressing solidarity.

Characteristics of Blas de Otero

Simple, direct language; collective voice

Evolución del yo al nosotros

Usa su poesía como un compromiso social y político

La Colmena characteristics

"The Hive" – metaphor for society.

Fragmented structure; multiple characters and voices.

Themes: poverty, repression, urban life.

Cinco horas con Mario: estructura, estilo

Structure: monologue by a conservative widow.

Style: colloquial, introspective, critique of Francoist ideology.

1940s Theater Characteristics

High comedy: elegant, apolitical.

Comic theater: escapist.

Existential theater: inward-looking.

1950 Social Theater

Critique of society, injustice, inequality.

Antonio Buero Vallejo:

History of a Staircase (Historia de una escalera):

Allegory of social immobility, dreams deferred.

Structure: spans three generations in a single stairwell setting.

1960s poetry characteristics

Aesthetic focus returns.

Antirhetorical style, introspective.

Themes of disillusionment.

1970s – "Novísimos" (Nine New Poets) characteristics and style

Experimental, cosmopolitan, visual poetry.

Influenced by pop culture, cinema, and foreign literature.