Machado’s Poetry: Symbolism, Self-Portrait, and Castile
A Dry Elm: Symbolism and Life
A Dry Elm: Theme: Life is embodied by an old, dry elm. In this poem, the elm symbolizes the poet’s life. Symbolism is a key element of modernism. The poem is divided into three parts: the first (verses 1-14) offers a physical description in the third person; the second (verses 15-27) speaks in the second person, referring to himself; and finally, the last three lines present a personal conclusion, expressing a last hope. Melancholy is evident, for example, in verses 15 and 16. The metric is free, without a consistent rhyme scheme. However, there is consonant rhyme, with an ABAB pattern.
Castilla Campos: A Literary Self-Portrait
Castilla Campos Portrait is a literary self-portrait where Machado describes himself, his work, and his life from childhood to his death, the “last trip.” He reveals himself as a “good man” who wanted to leave behind an important work and be free from want, “like the children of the sea.” The metric is based on Alexandrine serventesios: ABAB, CDCD… Stylistically, there is anaphora (“mi”, verses 1, 3, and 4) and parallelism: “the dress that covers me / the bread that feeds me” (verses 3 and 4). The metaphor of the “last trip” refers to death, and the poem ends with a comparison: “Like the children of the sea.”
Life of Antonio Machado
Life: Antonio Machado, born in Andalusia in 1875, studied in Madrid at the Institution Free Education, where he developed a love for nature and traditions. In Paris, he met symbolist poets who influenced his style. Upon his return, he taught in Soria, where he met Leonor Izquierdo, whom he married. After three years of marriage, she died, and the poet, deeply saddened, left Soria for Baeza (Jaén). Later, he lived in Segovia and alternated between the city and Madrid until the Civil War. A supporter of the Republic, Machado had to leave Spain after Franco’s victory and died in a French village (Collioure) in 1939, along with many Spanish exiles.
Banks of the Duero: Vision of Castile
Banks of the Duero Main theme: The poet presents his vision of Castile and its typical landscapes: sad, melancholic, with rocks, stones, and bushes, poor cities, but a warrior past. These elements across Castile are described as poor, sad, and melancholic, reflecting both the land and the poet’s inner feelings. Afterthought: Castile has been a land of misfortune, leading to many wars and pain. Metric and literary devices: The poem uses seven-syllable and hendecasyllable verses. It employs consonant rhyme, with a changing pattern: ABAB, ABABB, -A-ABCBC… The abundance of nouns and adjectives makes the description more expressive. The flow of the river can be seen as a symbol of the flow of time, but the poet no longer sees the Duero, but Castile itself running into the sea (perhaps, like you and forever, Duero, running towards the sea of Castile?).