Antonio Machado's Poetic Evolution and Context

1. Introduction: Contextualizing Machado's Work

The text originates from the Seville poet Antonio Machado (born 1875, died 1939). He spent his first eight years in Seville before moving to Madrid, where he published his first book, Solitudes (1903).

In 1907, Machado moved to Soria to teach French. There, he married Leonor Izquierdo in 1909. Inspired by his time in Soria, he began drafting Campos de Castilla, published in 1912 (with more poems reprinted in 1917). Tragically, his young wife died that same year, 1912. The grieving poet then moved to Baeza (Jaén), remaining there until he relocated to Segovia in 1919. In Segovia, he met his new love, the poet Pilar Valderrama, who would inspire the Songs to Guiomar, featured in the book New Songs (1924).

Machado lived in Segovia during the joyful triumph of the Republic (April 14, 1931) and began collaborating on plays with his brother, Manuel. A year later, he secured a teaching position in Madrid. The outbreak of the Civil War and the fall of Madrid to Franco's troops forced Machado to move to Valencia, then Barcelona, and finally to Collioure (France), where he died on February 22, 1939.

This specific poem belongs to Machado's first book, initially published in 1903 as Solitudes, later expanded and released in 1907 as Solitudes, Galleries and other poems. The book reflects the influence of Modernism, a late nineteenth/early twentieth-century movement characterized by a focus on the sound of words and the use of symbols. During this period, while the Nouveau style was fashionable, King Alfonso XIII reigned in Spain.

2. Stages of Poetic Production

First Stage (1899–1902)

• This is the Modernist period.
• It includes his work Solitudes (1903).

Second Stage (1903–1907)

• Publication of Solitudes, Galleries and other poems.
• The poet begins to move away, though not entirely, from the strong influence of Modernism.
• The first brief versions of the Castilian landscape appear.

Third Stage (1907–1912)

• This is the period of the Castilian poems, marked by concern for Spain.
• It shows greater confluence with the authors of the Group of '98.
• This stage includes Campos de Castilla (1912).

Fourth Stage (Post-1912)

• This stage focuses on philosophical and popular themes.
• It encompasses the time of New Songs (1924).