The Basque poets during the Second Republic: José María Agirre, 'Xabier Lizardi', and Esteban Urkiaga, 'Lauaxeta', in their artistic context.

This article examines the poetic works of José María Agirre, known as "Xabier Lizardi" (1896–1933), and Esteban Urkiaga, known as "Lauaxeta" (1905–1937), situating them within the context of Spanish Modernism and Symbolism during the Second Spanish Republic (1931–36). Both poets are recognized as key modernizers of Basque poetry, with Lizardi's work linked to figures like Juan Ramón Jiménez and José Ortega y Gasset, and Lauaxeta's poetry showing affinities with Federico García Lorca, the music of Jesús Guridi, and the paintings of Darío Regoyos, Valentín de Zubiaurre, and Aurelio Arteta. The article highlights their conservative modernist aesthetics, their engagement with Basque nationalism, and their efforts to renew Basque lyrical tradition amid political and cultural transformations. It also discusses the broader Basque cultural renaissance led by José Ariztimuño, "Aitzol," emphasizing the poets' roles in fostering national identity through literature while navigating European influences and local traditions.