Types of irony in Josep Maria de Sagarra’s lyric poetry

Abstract

Abstract: This paper analyses the poetry that Josep Maria de Sagarra wrote during the twenties and thirties —excluding El comte Arnau, Poema de Nadal and his satirical poetry— to reveal the deep reasons that favoured the ironic play. A clear difference in the poetry written in each decade is highlighted, in regard to a change in his personal circumstances and a sensitivity displayed towards new aesthetics. In 1920s poetry, irony, used as a defence, had to coexist with the intention of poetic purification, whereas in his 1930s poetry the impact of surrealism and the contrast caused by the knowledge of new lands perceived as strange provide new reasons for distance.

Key words: irony, Josep Maria de Sagarra, pure poetry, surrealism.