Josep Carner i Puig-Oriol (1884-1970) was a writer, poet, journalist, translator and playwright of Spanish origin. Much of his work was written in Catalan, hence he was known as "the prince of Catalan poets".
Carner was part of the avant-garde movement of the early twentieth century, known as noucentisme or noucentismo. His work was characterized by the absence of drama and tragedy, and above all by the use of colloquial words and some old words typical of the Catalan dialect..
Josep Carner also served as a diplomat, also expressed his affinity and support for the Second Spanish Republic. Like many of the intellectuals of his time, he was forced into exile, however, his literary work continued to develop attached to the Catalan language.
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Josep Carner was born on February 9, 1884 in Barcelona, into a middle-class family, and with extensive cultural knowledge. Her parents were Sebastián Carner, who served as editor and editor of a magazine, and Marianna Puig-Oriol. The writer was an only child.
From an early age Josep Carner was attracted to literature and letters, his talent and ability caused astonishment. At the age of twelve he became a contributor to the magazine L'Aureneta. Later, at the age of fifteen, he was the winner of the literary prize at the Floral Games in his hometown.
Carner began to study law and philosophy at the University of Barcelona in 1897. During that time he met the Catalan movement, focused on highlighting the values of Catalonia, he also worked in various print media, including Atlantis; graduated in 1902.
Shortly after graduating from college, Carner published his first verses: Poets book Y Crowns. In addition, he served as director of magazines in various periods, including Catalonia Y Empori. Time after, in 1911, it became part of the Institute of Catalan Studies.
At that time Carner also began his work as a journalist at the newspaper La Veu de Catalunya, that spanned over fifteen years. In 1915 he married Carmen Ossa, of Chilean origin. The marriage produced two children named Anna María and Josep.
Carner spent a long time modernizing the language used in Catalan lyric and prose. In addition, it invested effort to ensure that the literature of Catalonia reached the maturity, value and professionalism it deserved, and was recognized.
In 1920 the poet had an interest in a diplomatic career, so he went to Madrid to apply for positions at the consulate. The following year, he obtained the Spanish vice consulate in Italy, specifically in Genoa, and left with his family. The writer was a diplomat in several countries, including the Netherlands and France.
The outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936 affected the life of Josep Carner, both for his literary profession and for his diplomatic work, because his support for the Second Republic remained firm. In 1939 he left Spain, and separated from his first wife, he married Émilie Noulet, a literary critic.
From 1939 to 1945 he lived in Mexico, there he served as a teacher at El Colegio de México. Later he moved to Belgium, where he lived until his last days. Josep Carner died on June 4, 1970, at the age of eighty-six seis his remains rest in Spain, in the Montjuïc cemetery.
Josep Carner's literary style was framed within modernism. His work was characterized by the use of a cultured and well-elaborated language, focused on preserving and at the same time renewing the Catalan dialect. In addition, his verses were classic, far from romanticism.
Carner's literary work is rather ironic and sarcastic. It is common to observe rhetoric in his lyrics, as well as the development of sonnets. Regarding the theme, his poems dealt with the reality of everyday life, through elegance, kindness and reflection..
- Llibre dels poetes (1904).
- First book of sonets (1905).
- Flavored els fruits (1906).
- Segon llibre de sonets (1907).
- Verger de les galanies (1911).
- The paraula in the vent (1914).
- Auques i ventalls (1914).
- The cor quiet (1925).
- The enchanted veire (1933).
- Spring to poblet (1935).
- Nabi (1941).
- Bearings (1950).
- Llunyania (1952).
- Arbres (1953).
- Poetry (1957).
- Absences (1957).
- The tomb de l'any (1966).
This work is translated into Spanish as The tasty fruits, It was composed of about eighteen short poems. With this collection of poems, Carner managed to make a difference within the literary movement of Noucentisme. The Catalan dialect used was not so attached to the rules.
Josep Carner made two more editions of this book, one in 1928, and another in 1957. Those subsequent publications evidenced the maturity and poetic evolution of the writer, as well as the transformation of Catalan in terms of form and depth..
The title of the book was related to the fruit that gives its name to each poem. Carner developed the different stages of life through the analogy with certain words; for example, for maturity he used serenity. His final goal was the reflection on values and morals within the everyday.
Regarding the use of the meter, the poet developed the Alexandrian verses or that of fourteen syllables. It also reflected his affinity for the classical, through the characteristics of the characters and the culture. Finally, the poet put aside the modern environment, to focus on the Mediterranean.
- L'idil dels nyanyos (1903).
- The malvestat d'Oriana (1910).
- Maig's giravolt (1928).
- Quanaxhuata Mystery (1943). It was a tribute to Mexico, after his exile; He wrote it in Spanish.
- The Ben Cofat i l'Altre (1951). It was the Catalan version of Quanaxhuata Mystery.
- Vent Cop (1966).
- Les planetes del verdum (1918).
- The bonhomies (1925).
- Three estels and one ròssec (1927).
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