Description
THE RIGHT TO THE NEW
Book Summary
This essay offers a profound analysis of the Spanish literary avant-garde, taking as its starting point the definition of modernity by critic Hans-Robert Jauss. The work explores the legitimation of the new in Spanish poetry, focusing on two key movements: Ultraism and the Generation of '27. Through a long-duration approach, the author connects the controversy surrounding Góngora in the 17th century with the aesthetic proposals of the 20th century, revealing how discontinuity and rupture are the central axes of literary modernity. The reader will find a rigorous investigation that questions the traditional categories of literary history.
What is it about?
The book addresses the complex relationship between tradition and rupture in 20th-century Spanish literature. Starting from Jauss's notion of the "right to the new," the author analyzes whether the Generation of '27 can be considered avant-garde when it emerges after Ultraism, and how both movements, despite their aesthetic differences, share the same renewing impulse. The research delves into the paradox of the avant-garde canonizing a poet of the past like Góngora, and explores this phenomenon through a temporal arc that spans from the Góngora controversy of 1613 to the historical avant-gardes. It examines how these moments, separated by centuries, share an essential discontinuity and project itineraries that intertwine.
Main themes
- The legitimation of the new as a driver of literary modernity.
- The relationship between Ultraism and the Generation of '27 as avant-garde movements.
- The canonization of Góngora by the Spanish avant-gardes.
- Historical discontinuity as a defining feature of the modern.
- The analysis of long duration in literary history.
Who is it recommended for?
It is aimed at students and researchers of Spanish literature, literary theory, and cultural history. It will also be of interest to advanced readers interested in the avant-garde, the poetry of '27, and critical thought on modernity. It is an ideal work for those seeking a renewed and well-founded perspective on the aesthetic evolution of literature in Spanish.
What this book offers
- A solid theoretical framework for understanding the notion of the avant-garde beyond habitual classifications.
- An original connection between the Góngora Baroque and the aesthetic proposals of the 20th century.
- An argued response to key questions about the identity and chronology of literary movements.
- An integrative vision of discontinuity as a creative principle in modern literature.
Technical specifications
- Author: DAVIS GONZALEZ, ANA
- Publisher: UNIVERSIDAD DE MURCIA
- Language: Spanish
- Topic: LITERATURE: HISTORY AND CRITICISM
- Collection: EDITUM SIGNOS
- Publication date: June 2025
- Number of pages: 260
- Weight: 789 g
Editorial review
This is a relevant academic contribution that competently addresses a classic debate in literary historiography. The author manages to articulate a coherent discourse between seemingly disconnected historical moments, offering a renewed reading of the Spanish avant-gardes. Her approach, based on Jauss's theory, provides an interpretive framework that enriches the understanding of the poetry of '27 and Ultraism. Recommended for specialists and for any reader interested in the dynamics of aesthetic innovation.