Literary Analysis of Machado and Juan Ramón Jiménez

Key Features of Modernism

• Rejection of everyday life: Focus on the past and exotic locations.
• Formal perfection: The pursuit of beauty and "art for art's sake."
• Importance of rhythm: Recovery and invention of new verses.
• Lexical renewal: Use of exotic, mythological, and mysterious vocabulary (e.g., Castile, princes).
• Topics: Focus on foreign themes and the poet's intimacy.

Characteristics of the Generation of '98

• Close friendship: A group opposed to the Restoration.
• Interest in Castile: A deep love for the land and nationalism.
• Rupture of forms: Breaking classical forms to create new ones.
• Pessimism: A prevailing sense of disillusionment.
• National issues: Themes centered around the land and the state of Spain.
• Moderation: Use of the fair and effective word; contempt for exotic vocabulary.

Modernism: Parnassianism and Symbolism

Modernism is characterized by Parnassianism and Symbolism, emphasizing subjective sentiment and a contempt for the mundane in favor of pure beauty.

Antonio Machado (1875–1939)

In his work, Machado shows an evolution from Modernism toward the search for a simple and true word. He communicates through symbols such as the traveler (the poet), the path (life), and the sunset (death).

The Three Stages of Machado's Work

1. First Stage: Solitudes, Galleries, and Other Poems. This period features intimate Modernism and emotional expression, focusing on love, the passage of time, and death.
2. Second Stage: Campos de Castilla. A reflection on the reality of Spain, offering a critique of backwardness, poverty, and inequality.
3. Third Stage: Proverbs and Songs. A collection of reflections and philosophical judgments.

Juan Ramón Jiménez (1881–1948)

Born in Huelva, his interest in poetry led him to abandon his law studies. The death of his father marked him deeply. He married in the U.S. and, upon returning to Madrid, led poetic renewal movements in contact with the future poets of the Generation of '27. As a Republican, he fled the country and was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1956.

Poetic Evolution of Jiménez

• First Stage (Sensitive): Focused on landscape, solitude, simple love, and a preoccupation with time and the fear of death.
• Second Stage (Intellectual): An evolution toward "naked poetry," the necessity of transcendence, and overcoming the fear of death.
• Third Stage (Sufficient): Overcoming the fear of death where his own consciousness becomes God. This stage features simple, automatic writing, free association, and a lack of ordered ideas.

Modernism vs. Generation of '98