Antonio Machado: Life, Works, and Poetic Evolution
Antonio Machado: Life and Work
Antonio Machado was born in Seville on July 26, within a middle-class, liberal, and progressive family. He later lived in Madrid, where he studied in 1893. He openly published his first prose works, while his first poems appeared in 1901. He was a professor and married Leonor Izquierdo. A few months after the appearance of Campos de Castilla, Leonor died (August 1). He wrote in all genres, standing out prominently in poetry. His first book was Soledades (1903), a few
Read More15th Century Spanish Literature: Key Works & Authors
15th Century Spanish Literature
The fifteenth century is the time when the Castilian language definitively settles as dominant in educated lyric poetry. Before then, poets of Castile, influenced by earlier traditions, preferably employed Galician-Portuguese in their compositions. 15th-century learned poetry, of a courtly character, emerged among the nobility and was centered around the courts of kings.
This courtly poetry is compiled in cancioneros, anthologies that brought together works by one
Read MoreGustavo Adolfo Bécquer: Life, Works, and Literary Impact
Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer: A Biographical Sketch
1. Born in Seville on January 17, 1836, Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer belonged to a noble family of Flanders established in Seville in the late sixteenth century. He was the father of a genre painter who died when Bécquer was 5 years old, leaving his family in a dreadful economic situation. In 1846, Bécquer was admitted to the College of San Telmo to study navigation. The following year, his mother died. A few months later, the school was closed, and Bécquer
Read MoreDon Quixote: Summary and Analysis
Don Quixote: Publication History
The first edition of Don Quixote appeared in 1605, although there is evidence of a previous version from 1604. After seeing an unauthorized continuation of his work, Cervantes decided to continue the adventures of Don Quixote, publishing a second part in 1615.
Composition and Structure
The work is structured in two parts, and its action is organized around Don Quixote’s three departures. The first two are narrated in Part 1, and the last in Part 2.
Part 1
The knight Don
Read MoreRoman Conquest of Hispania: Stages and Romanization
Stages of the Roman Conquest of Hispania
The initial goal of the Romans was to defeat the Carthaginians in the Second Punic War. They harassed the Iberians, Carthaginians, and their allies, seeking support among the peoples of the region. The Romans established their base of operations at Tarraco (Tarragona). In 209 BC, Scipio was commissioned to defeat Carthaginian power in the peninsula and, between 206 and 205 BC, took Carthage, effectively ending Carthaginian dominance. Scipio’s defeat of Hannibal
Read MoreDon Juan Tenorio & Moroccan Letters: Critical Appraisal
Critical Appraisal of Don Juan Tenorio
Don Juan Tenorio is considered the masterpiece of José Zorrilla, catapulting him to fame. Don Juan Tenorio, a romantic drama, embodies this genre through its subject, characters, and aesthetics. The central theme is love and the salvation of a sinner.
Regarding its structure, the play is divided into two parts:
- The first part, presented in four acts, encompasses everything related to love, seduction, and challenges. It represents the world of the living and earthly