Decadentismo

Summary

The script explores the decadence movement in literature, where the novel evolves towards naturalism, while poetry delves into hidden meanings behind sensory reality. It critiques the materialism and rationalism of 19th-century bourgeois society, expressing existential disorientation. Key figures like Baudelaire, Mallarmé, Rimbaud, and Verlaine embody this reaction through their focus on irrational intuition, sensory confusion, and artistic rebellion. The movement extends to narrative fiction, with writers like Oscar Wilde and D'Annunzio focusing on troubled, contradictory characters, challenging societal norms and exploring inner turmoil through eccentric, anti-conformist figures.

Takeaways

• 😀 The Decadentism movement, which emerged as a reaction against the materialism and rationalism of the 19th-century bourgeois society, emphasizes exploring meanings hidden behind the sensory reality.
• 😀 Poetry within Decadentism often employs analogies and symbols to reveal connections between distant worlds, opposing the dominant rational culture of the time.
• 😀 The bourgeois capitalist system that emerged in the second half of the 19th century caused existential disorientation, expressed through the artists' escape from reality and their retreat into the ideal.
• 😀 Charles Baudelaire's 'Les Fleurs du mal' is a defining work of Decadentism, delving into the depths of sensitivity and exploring the contrast between excess and the banality of modern society.
• 😀 The Decadent movement sought communication with the mystery of existence, utilizing intuition, irrationality, sensory confusion, and musical suggestions to explore knowledge through illuminations, hallucinations, and insights.
• 😀 French 'poètes maudits' (damned poets) like Stéphane Mallarmé, Arthur Rimbaud, and Paul Verlaine, epitomized the Decadent lifestyle with their disregard for conventionality and the embrace of darkness and disorder in art and life.
• 😀 The term 'Decadentism,' initially pejorative, was later reclaimed by the movement itself as a symbol of pride, with poets seeing themselves as misunderstood visionaries who could read the essence of reality.
• 😀 The Decadent poet is seen as an outsider or 'visionary,' often ridiculed or marginalized by society, but using this rejection to demonstrate their superior, almost otherworldly understanding of existence.
• 😀 The Decadent sensibility influenced literature, including novelists and playwrights, who began to focus on the interior lives of characters, particularly the tormented and contradictory inner worlds.
• 😀 The emergence of eccentric and non-conformist figures, such as dandy protagonists in literature, became prominent at the end of the 19th century and laid the foundation for early 20th-century literature in Europe.
• 😀 In Italy, writers like Gabriele D'Annunzio and internationally, figures like Oscar Wilde and Lewis Carroll, explored and embodied these Decadent ideals through their works and personal lives.

Q & A

What is the primary focus of decadence in literature and art?

Decadence in literature and art primarily explores the meanings hidden behind the physical reality, focusing on symbolism and analogies that reveal connections between distant worlds. It serves as a reaction against the materialism and rationalism of the dominant culture in the late 19th century.

How does decadence respond to the growing bourgeois capitalist system?

Decadence reacts to the increasing dominance of the bourgeois capitalist system in the late 19th century by expressing existential disorientation. Artists often sought refuge in ideals or sought escape from the harsh realities of the material world.

Which literary work is seen as a school for decadence and why?

The collection *Les Fleurs du mal* (The Flowers of Evil) by Charles Baudelaire is seen as a school for decadence. It explores the depths of a heightened sensitivity, contrasting sharply with the hypocrisy and triviality of modern society, aiming to communicate with the mystery of existence through irrational intuition and sensory confusion.

What is the role of 'poètes maudits' in French decadence?

The 'poètes maudits' (cursed poets) of the 1870s, such as Stéphane Mallarmé, Arthur Rimbaud, and Paul Verlaine, embodied the themes of disorder and obscurity in both their art and lives. They rejected conventional society, pursuing an aesthetic of excess and rebellion.

How is decadence depicted in terms of its impact on the individual artist?

Decadence is depicted as a movement of existential exhaustion and self-destructive indulgence. It suggests that artists, despite facing general misunderstanding and ridicule, embrace their role as outsiders. The derision they faced is often transformed into a symbol of proud superiority.

What is the symbolism behind the description of the decadent poet as an 'albatross'?

The decadent poet is symbolized as an 'albatross' to represent a sense of awkwardness and alienation in the mundane world, but majestic and powerful in the realm of artistic expression. This reflects the duality of being misunderstood by society yet possessing a profound ability to perceive deeper truths.

What shifts occurred in literature at the end of the 19th century as part of the decadent movement?

At the end of the 19th century, literature began to focus more on the interiority of characters, often portraying tormented and contradictory personalities. Eccentric and nonconformist figures, such as dandies, emerged as key protagonists in literature.

Which authors are associated with the decadent movement in European literature?

In European literature, authors like Joris-Karl Huysmans, Oscar Wilde, and in Italy, Gabriele D'Annunzio, are associated with the decadent movement. Their works reflect the themes of excess, contradiction, and a focus on aestheticism and the exploration of the inner self.

How does decadent poetry differ from naturalism in terms of thematic focus?

While naturalism in literature emphasizes the depiction of reality as it is, decadent poetry explores deeper meanings behind the external world, using symbolism and analogy. It focuses on revealing hidden connections between different realms of existence rather than adhering to a strictly realistic portrayal.

Why was decadence initially considered a derogatory term, and how did it evolve?

Initially, the term 'decadence' was used in a derogatory sense to criticize the perceived decline of culture and art. However, over time, the movement embraced the term as a form of self-expression, with artists reclaiming it as a symbol of pride and defiance against mainstream values.