Vicente Aleixandre facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Vicente Aleixandre
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Aleixandre in 1977
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| Born | Vicente Pío Marcelino Cirilo Aleixandre y Merlo 26 April 1898 Seville, Spain |
| Died | 14 December 1984 (aged 86) Madrid, Spain |
| Occupation | Poet |
| Nationality | Spanish |
| Notable awards | Nobel Prize in Literature 1977 |
Vicente Aleixandre (born April 26, 1898 – died December 14, 1984) was a famous Spanish poet. He was born in Seville, Spain. In 1977, he won the Nobel Prize for Literature. The prize was given to him for his poetry that showed what it means to be human. His work also explored how people fit into the world and society. He was an important member of a group of writers called the Generation of '27.
Aleixandre's early poems were often written in a style called surrealism. This means they used dream-like images and ideas. His poetry also celebrated the beauty of nature. He used symbols of the earth and sea to show this. Many of his first poems had a sad feeling. They showed his belief that people had lost their strong feelings and free spirit. He thought these qualities were still present in nature. Aleixandre is considered one of the greatest Spanish poets. He died in Madrid when he was 86 years old.
His Poetic Works
Vicente Aleixandre wrote many collections of poetry. Some of his early books include Passion of the Earth (1935) and Destruction or Love (1933). Later, in 1944, he wrote Shadow of Paradise. In this book, he started writing about themes like friendship and people being united. Other important poetry books he wrote were History of the Heart (1954) and In a Vast Dominion (1962).
Aleixandre studied law at the University of Madrid. Some of his poems were translated into English. These translations appeared in books like Twenty Poems of Vicente Aleixandre (1977). Another collection was A Longing for the Light: Selected Poems of Vincent Aleixandre (1979). During the Spanish Civil War, Aleixandre wrote for a magazine called El Mono Azul. This was a cultural magazine that supported the Republican side.
Early Poetic Style
His very first book of poems was Ámbito. He wrote it between 1924 and 1927, and it was published in Málaga in 1928. In this early work, Aleixandre was still finding his unique voice. He was influenced by other poets like Juan Ramón Jiménez and Jorge Guillén. He also used ideas from older Spanish poetry, especially from the Golden Age. Poets like Fray Luis de León and Góngora inspired him.
Surrealism in Poetry
After Ámbito, Aleixandre's way of writing poetry changed a lot. This happened between 1928 and 1932. He was inspired by early surrealist writers like Arthur Rimbaud and Lautréamont. He also learned from the ideas of Freud. Aleixandre started using prose poetry and free verse. This means his poems did not always rhyme or follow strict rules. He also used "visionary images," which are like pictures from a dream.
His books from this time include Swords like Lips (1932), Destruction or Love (1935), and Shadow of Paradise (1944). The style of these poems was very imaginative and sometimes hard to understand. It was like a "flow" of ideas, not always logical. Through surrealism, Aleixandre broke free from old poetry rules. He even changed how sentences were put together. For example, he used "inverted simile" and "hyperbole" (exaggeration). He also used dream symbols that were not always clear. This made Spanish poetry much richer. Aleixandre's poems celebrated love as a powerful, natural force. He believed this force could break through any human limits. He also criticized how society tried to control these natural feelings.
In Popular Culture
- A statue of Aleixandre can be found in the main square of Madrid, Spain. The Spanish artist Juan López Ballesteros designed it.
- The Spanish government has released several postage stamps with pictures of Aleixandre. One series was made in 2001 to celebrate 100 years since his birth.
See also
In Spanish: Vicente Aleixandre para niños
