The Generation of 98: Literary Impact and Key Features

Location of the Poet: Antonio Machado

Antonio Machado, born in Seville in 1875, was part of a group of writers who set the pace of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. This group was associated with the concept of modernity. From 1913, Azorín began using the term "Generation of 98" to refer to the new writers of this period, distinguishing them from those who retreated into aestheticism as a rejection of the surrounding world.

The Generation of 98 is defined as a group of writers who shared similar concerns regarding social reality, including awareness of poverty, misery, social injustice, and economic and political neglect. The writers who form this generation include:

• Miguel de Unamuno
• Azorín
• Pío Baroja
• Ramón del Valle-Inclán
• Antonio Machado

Significant Features of the Generation of 98

• Europeanism and Taste for Castizo: An attempt to raise Spain to the level of Europe by remaining open to modern trends of thought.
• Sobriety: Writers fled from rhetorical devices, seeking maximum clarity, simplicity, and subjectivism.
• Idealization of the Landscape: The Castilian landscape became the symbol of the Spanish soul.
• Concern for the Problems of Spain: Writers demonstrated their love for Spain while denouncing its stagnation.
• Subjectivism and Philosophical Reflection: There is an internalization of the country's general crisis, with writers reflecting on the meaning of life, religion, and existence.