Antonio Machado: Poetic Evolution and Literary Context
Context of the Poetic Work
D. Antonio Machado Ruiz was born in Seville in 1875 and died in Collioure on 22 February 1939.
Machado had a bohemian youth, during which he frequented artistic circles in Spain and Paris. In Paris, he met Jean Moréas, prophet of Symbolism, and later, Rubén Darío. His subsequent stay in Soria as a professor was crucial in his life and poetry. There, he met his wife, Leonor Izquierdo. The landscape of Soria and the memory of Leonor had a permanent reflection on Machado’s subsequent poetry.
Further stays in Baeza, Segovia, and other locations opened new avenues for Machado’s existence and poetry. Finally, his stay in Madrid led him to support the Republic, identifying with the cause of the people, resulting in a “poetry of battle.”
The Poetic Path and Major Works
The poetry of Antonio Machado passes through three main stages, each corresponding to a major book:
- Soledades, Galerías y Otros Poemas (Solitudes, Galleries and Other Poems)
- Campos de Castilla (Fields of Castile)
- Nuevas Canciones (New Songs)
Additionally, a series of poems written later align with the themes of Nuevas Canciones.
Key Influences on Machado’s Poetry
When considering the influences reflected in Machado’s work, we must note his own family tradition. Antonio Machado was the nephew of Don Agustín Durán, compiler of the Romancero General. Furthermore, we must not forget that Machado was the son of Antonio Machado y Álvarez, a noted folklorist who collected folk songs and traditions of Andalusia.
Literary Movements Shaping Machado’s Career
The life and work of Machado developed within the sphere of three different literary movements: Modernism, the Generation of ’98, and the Vanguards (Avant-garde), which correspond chronologically with each of his important books.
Modernism and Symbolism
Modernism is the Hispanic version of two French movements: Parnassianism and Symbolism. Its principal representative was the Nicaraguan poet Rubén Darío. Both movements rejected the bourgeois world and the materialism of contemporary society.
- Parnassianism: Sought to create an outer, concrete, material beauty.
- Symbolism: Sought inner beauty expressed through symbols.
Machado’s first book, Soledades, Galerías y Otros Poemas, is part of the modernist movement. However, his modernism is less fundamentalist and more Symbolist. It is an intimista (introspective) modernism that runs around the common themes of Rubén Darío’s style, expressed primarily through symbols.
The Influence of the Generation of ’98
In the ensuing Campos de Castilla, the Generation of ’98 decisively influences the work. This movement gathered writers with the intention of addressing Spanish public life and regenerating the nation. Initially, writers like Azorín, Pío Baroja, and Maeztu formed the core, benefiting from the sponsorship of Unamuno. For them, the fundamental issue was the “Subject of Spain.”
Campos de Castilla, without sacrificing the characteristic features of the previous stage, reflects a decisive influence of the ’98 Generation. This is mainly reflected in:
- The predominance of the theme of Spain, conceived as a problem.
- The contemplation of the landscape of Castile.
- The replacement of the more exquisite vocabulary of his previous stage by a more common one.
Later Works and the Vanguards
Machado published his last book, Nuevas Canciones, in 1924. This is an uneven book in which Machado quietly reflects the influence of the Vanguards, especially the Generation of ’27.