Antonio Machado: Life and Poetic Stages

Antonio Machado: Biography

Born in Seville in 1875, Antonio Machado moved to Madrid. He attended the Institución Libre de Enseñanza starting in 1889. He first traveled to Paris, where he met Symbolist poets. In 1907, he published his first book, Soledades, Galerías y Otros Poemas. He moved to Soria, where he met Leonor Izquierdo; they married two years later. In 1912, he published his second major work, Campos de Castilla. That same year, his wife died, and he fell into a depression. Afterward, he went to Jaén, where he lived with his mother. His final poetic work was titled Nuevas Canciones. He died in France in 1939.

First Poetic Stage

Symbolist Poetry and Art Nouveau

Key Aspects:

• Work: Soledades, Galerías y Otros Poemas
• Themes and Purpose: The poet takes refuge in his inner self, seeking answers to the great enigmas of human existence: time, the existence of God, death.
• Emotional Result: Internal reflection in search of truth yields no result, leading to loneliness and distress (existential pessimism).
• Significant Verse: "¿Adónde el camino irá?" (Expressing uncertainty about the future).
• Style: Language characterized by the use of symbols. Short verses.

Second Poetic Stage

Poetry of Civic Engagement

Key Aspects:

• The poet opens up to the world and identifies with the Castilian landscape, reflecting on the past, present, and future of Spain.
• Machado criticizes the causes of Spain's decline. He longs for national progress, a goal achievable only through collective effort based on work.
• His relationship with Spain is marked by social and political optimism, faith in the future.
• Significant Verse: "Caminante, no hay camino: se hace camino al andar." (Emphasizing the responsibility of shaping one's own destiny day by day).
• Style: Clear language, sometimes prosaic, intended for broad communication. Narrative verse.

Machado's Symbolism

For Machado, a symbol is an element of nature that evokes a very intense feeling or emotion.

Key Symbols:

• The path symbolizes human existence as a linear journey leading to an uncertain end.
• The sea represents death.
• The river symbolizes the flow of time.
• The fountain or spring represents cyclical return.
• Mirrors represent frustrated hopes and dreams.

Machado prefers specific adjectives and varied verb forms. He rejects metaphors used solely for decorative purposes or rhetorical flourish.