In March 1936, following the Popular Front's election victory, the Spanish government banned the Falange Española and arrested its founder, José Antonio Primo de Rivera, in Madrid. The arrest of the Falange's charismatic leader was intended to curb right-wing violence and conspiracy, but it instead made José Antonio a martyr for the Nationalist cause. The Falange continued to operate clandestinely, and José Antonio's imprisonment and eventual execution would become a rallying symbol for Franco's forces.

José Antonio Primo de Rivera's writings, including his political speeches and occasional poems, became sacred texts for Falangist poets. His arrest and imprisonment inspired a cult of personality that influenced right-wing poets like Luis Rosales, who wrote elegies to the fallen leader. The Falangist literary movement that emerged during the civil war drew heavily on José Antonio's rhetorical style, blending mysticism with nationalist fervor.