Jaime Gil de Biedma
Encyclopedia
Jaime Gil de Biedma y Alba (Nov. 13, 1929-Jan. 8, 1990) was a Spanish
post-Civil War
poet.
He was born in Nava de la Asunción
on November 13, 1929. He stopped writing poetry some ten years before his death. He insisted that the character he had invented, the poet Jaime Gil de Biedma, as opposed to the respectable bourgeois businessman of the same name, had nothing left to say and he refused to go on playing the role of a poet in literary society.
He died on January 8, 1990 of AIDS
.
literature. This Anglophilia was initiated when he first read T. S. Eliot
's Four Quartets
(translated in 1952).
He was also a considerable Francophile
as befitted a young Spaniard of his elevated social class, bearing in mind that Spanish society had always been notoriously 'afrancesado' until well into the 20th century. This state of affairs begin to change under the influence of poets like Gil de Biedma and Luis Cernuda
. His lifelong adherence to and assimilation of Anglo-American culture was consolidated by his studies in Oxford
in 1953 where he read T. S. Eliot
for the first time in English
(along with W. H. Auden
and Stephen Spender
), thus beginning a lifelong fascination with the work of the Anglo-America
n poet. Moreover, the long periods spent in the largely Anglophone
circles of Manila
would also contribute to his Anglophile literary sensibility and on numerous occasions he would declare England
to be his 'segunda patria', his second country, and would also say that he was 'in great measure, a product of the Anglo-Saxon
literary tradition. Even though, also shows conscious relations with Spanish and French tradition.
. While earlier post-war poets focus strongly on social issues and lack attention to the poem itself, poets from Generation of '50' as Gil de Biedma, Ángel González, J. A. Valente or F. Brines, while still concerned with democracy
or class struggle, are aware about the literary character of their work. They all introduced in Spain, partly because of the late Cernuda's influence, what Langbaum called 'poetry of experience', the main poetic trend in Spain from the 1980s. In their writings from 1950 to 1970, at least, they all tried to rearrange intellectually immediate experience, by the means of a fictional-self.
.
all his life. Nevertheless, he did not hide his sexual orientation
and displayed it openly in his poetry. He was rejected for membership of the then illegal Spanish Communist Party
, allegedly because Franco
's dictatorship could use his sexuality to threaten him if he were discovered to be a communist.
, Spain's most important liberal-conservative party.
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
post-Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
poet.
He was born in Nava de la Asunción
Nava de la Asunción
Nava de la Asunción is a municipality located in the province of Segovia, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 2,645 inhabitants.-External links:*...
on November 13, 1929. He stopped writing poetry some ten years before his death. He insisted that the character he had invented, the poet Jaime Gil de Biedma, as opposed to the respectable bourgeois businessman of the same name, had nothing left to say and he refused to go on playing the role of a poet in literary society.
He died on January 8, 1990 of AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
.
English influence
Among Spanish readers, he is considered one of the most consummate Anglophiles in the field of contemporary peninsularIberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
literature. This Anglophilia was initiated when he first read T. S. Eliot
T. S. Eliot
Thomas Stearns "T. S." Eliot OM was a playwright, literary critic, and arguably the most important English-language poet of the 20th century. Although he was born an American he moved to the United Kingdom in 1914 and was naturalised as a British subject in 1927 at age 39.The poem that made his...
's Four Quartets
Four Quartets
Four Quartets is a set of four poems written by T. S. Eliot that were published individually over a six-year period. The first poem, "Burnt Norton", was written and published with a collection of his early works following the production of Eliot's play Murder in the Cathedral...
(translated in 1952).
He was also a considerable Francophile
Francophile
Is a person with a positive predisposition or interest toward the government, culture, history, or people of France. This could include France itself and its history, the French language, French cuisine, literature, etc...
as befitted a young Spaniard of his elevated social class, bearing in mind that Spanish society had always been notoriously 'afrancesado' until well into the 20th century. This state of affairs begin to change under the influence of poets like Gil de Biedma and Luis Cernuda
Luis Cernuda
Luis Cernuda , was a Spanish poet and literary critic.-Life and career:...
. His lifelong adherence to and assimilation of Anglo-American culture was consolidated by his studies in Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
in 1953 where he read T. S. Eliot
T. S. Eliot
Thomas Stearns "T. S." Eliot OM was a playwright, literary critic, and arguably the most important English-language poet of the 20th century. Although he was born an American he moved to the United Kingdom in 1914 and was naturalised as a British subject in 1927 at age 39.The poem that made his...
for the first time in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
(along with W. H. Auden
W. H. Auden
Wystan Hugh Auden , who published as W. H. Auden, was an Anglo-American poet,The first definition of "Anglo-American" in the OED is: "Of, belonging to, or involving both England and America." See also the definition "English in origin or birth, American by settlement or citizenship" in See also...
and Stephen Spender
Stephen Spender
Sir Stephen Harold Spender CBE was an English poet, novelist and essayist who concentrated on themes of social injustice and the class struggle in his work...
), thus beginning a lifelong fascination with the work of the Anglo-America
Anglo-America
Anglo-America is a region in the Americas in which English is a main language, or one which has significant British historical, ethnic, linguistic, and cultural links...
n poet. Moreover, the long periods spent in the largely Anglophone
English-speaking world
The English-speaking world consists of those countries or regions that use the English language to one degree or another. For more information, please see:Lists:* List of countries by English-speaking population...
circles of Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
would also contribute to his Anglophile literary sensibility and on numerous occasions he would declare England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to be his 'segunda patria', his second country, and would also say that he was 'in great measure, a product of the Anglo-Saxon
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
literary tradition. Even though, also shows conscious relations with Spanish and French tradition.
Generation of '50'
Poetically, Gil de Biedma belongs to the group of poets known as the 'Generation of '50', a loose term referring to poets who come from the cultivated social realism in the wake of the Civil WarSpanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
. While earlier post-war poets focus strongly on social issues and lack attention to the poem itself, poets from Generation of '50' as Gil de Biedma, Ángel González, J. A. Valente or F. Brines, while still concerned with democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
or class struggle, are aware about the literary character of their work. They all introduced in Spain, partly because of the late Cernuda's influence, what Langbaum called 'poetry of experience', the main poetic trend in Spain from the 1980s. In their writings from 1950 to 1970, at least, they all tried to rearrange intellectually immediate experience, by the means of a fictional-self.
Common topics
In his early poems, he displays a strong criticism of Spanish dictatorship, titling his first important publication Compañeros de viaje, after a Trotskyist expression for Communist sympathizers. Gil de Biedma was known for his hard-partying ways and his unrepentant social life, and addressed the schism between public and private personae in several famous poems, arguably the most well-known being 'Contra Jaime Gil de Biedma' ('Against Jaime Gil de Biedma') or 'Después de la muerte de Jaime Gil de Biedma' ('After the death of Jaime Gil de Biedma'). Along with Francisco Brines, he helped to reinvigorate homoerotic topics on poetry, probably inspired by the exiled Luis CernudaLuis Cernuda
Luis Cernuda , was a Spanish poet and literary critic.-Life and career:...
.
Homosexuality
As a homosexual in a strongly conservative environment, Jaime Gil de Biedma suffered discriminationDiscrimination
Discrimination is the prejudicial treatment of an individual based on their membership in a certain group or category. It involves the actual behaviors towards groups such as excluding or restricting members of one group from opportunities that are available to another group. The term began to be...
all his life. Nevertheless, he did not hide his sexual orientation
Sexual orientation
Sexual orientation describes a pattern of emotional, romantic, or sexual attractions to the opposite sex, the same sex, both, or neither, and the genders that accompany them. By the convention of organized researchers, these attractions are subsumed under heterosexuality, homosexuality,...
and displayed it openly in his poetry. He was rejected for membership of the then illegal Spanish Communist Party
Spanish Communist Party
Spanish Communist Party , was the first communist party in Spain, formed out of the Federación de Juventudes Socialistas . The founders of the party, that had belonged to leftwing within FJS, included Ramón Merino Gracia, Manuel Ugarte, Pedro Illescasm Luis Portela, Tiburicio Pico and Rito Estaban...
, allegedly because Franco
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...
's dictatorship could use his sexuality to threaten him if he were discovered to be a communist.
Trivia
Gil de Biedma's niece is the liberal conservative politician Esperanza Aguirre Gil de Biedma, president of the Autonomous Community of Madrid and one of the main policy-makers in the Partido PopularPeople's Party (Spain)
The People's Party is a conservative political party in Spain.The People's Party was a re-foundation in 1989 of the People's Alliance , a party led and founded by Manuel Fraga Iribarne, a former Minister of Tourism during Francisco Franco's dictatorship...
, Spain's most important liberal-conservative party.
External links
- Jaime Gil de Biedma on the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...