Antonio Machado: Life, Works, and Influence on Spanish Poetry
Modernism
Introduction
Modernism, a literary movement born in Latin America during the late nineteenth century, spread to Spain through the influence of Rubén Darío. Two French art movements, Parnassianism (revival of Greco-Roman and mythological themes) and Symbolism (assigning subjective meanings to shapes, colors, beings, etc.), significantly shaped Modernism’s development. Although its rise was brief, ending around 1915, Modernism played a crucial role in the evolution of Spanish poetry by ushering in a complete renovation. Primarily a poetic movement, it also extended its influence to novels, short stories, and drama.
Themes and Characteristics
Modernism’s themes can be broadly categorized into two main lines: escapism and the expression of the poet’s inner world, both bearing traces of Romanticism.
Escapism: Modernist poets sought refuge in exotic locations and bygone eras, creating elaborate settings filled with palaces, gardens, knights, princesses, and mythical creatures. Geographical boundaries blurred as Japan and Paris, Chile and Greece, all found a place in their poems, serving as backdrops for beauty. Eroticism and amoral behavior often emerged as expressions of a rebellious, anti-bourgeois spirit.
Intimacy: The second line delves into the poet’s inner turmoil and their melancholic view of love and the world. A longing for unattainable wholeness permeates their work, often framed within autumnal landscapes, desolate gardens, and twilight settings, revealing clear Romantic roots.
Language and Style: Modernist poets harnessed the full potential of language to create beauty. Color played a vital role, with adjectives and chromatic ranges employed extensively. They utilized a rich vocabulary, incorporating neologisms and cultisms, to craft evocative soundscapes. Musicality was another crucial element, achieved through skillful use of meter. Modernists favored the Alexandrine and dodecasyllabic verses, which were rarely used previously. Careful attention to stress patterns further enhanced the musical rhythm of their poems.
Modernism in Spain
Salvador Rueda is considered a pioneer of Modernism in Spain. However, the most prominent figures are Antonio Machado (Solitudes, Galleries and Other Poems) and Juan Ramón Jiménez (Arias Tristes, Jardines Lejanos, La Soledad Sonora). Both poets eventually evolved beyond Modernism. In their works, and those of other poets like Manuel Machado and Eduardo Marquina, poetry took on a more intimate tone, aligning closer with Symbolism.
In fiction and drama, Ramón María del Valle-Inclán’s Sonatas and Eduardo Marquina’s politically charged play Las Hijas del Cid stand out as notable examples of Modernist influence.
Antonio Machado
Early Life and Influences
Born in Seville in 1875, Antonio Machado grew up in an educated and liberal family. His father, a Republican and a prominent figure in folklore studies, published numerous collections of folk poetry and contributed significantly to the revival of traditional poetry, which played a vital role in post-Romanticism and the development of Spanish poetry in the twentieth century. In 1883, the family relocated to Madrid, where Antonio studied at the Free Institution of Education. The institution’s secular, progressive, and tolerant spirit left a lasting impact on Machado’s character. In 1899, he and his brother Manuel moved to Paris to work as translators. Machado divided his time between Paris and Madrid, immersing himself in the modernist circles of the latter. In 1907, he secured a position as a French professor at the Institute of Soria, where he met Leonor Izquierdo, whom he married in 1909. Leonor’s untimely death in 1912 profoundly affected Machado, leading him to relocate to Baeza. He later moved to Segovia in 1919 and was elected to the Royal Spanish Academy in 1927. During the Spanish Civil War, he sided with the Republican cause. Gravely ill, he went into exile in January 1939 and died shortly after, on February 22, in the French town of Collioure.
Poetic Works
Machado’s first poetry collection, Solitudes, was published in 1903 and reissued with revisions in 1907 under the title Solitudes, Galleries and Other Poems. However, his most significant work is Campos de Castilla, initially published in 1912 and finalized in 1917. This work marks a fundamental shift from Solitudes. While the former is considered Modernist, Campos de Castilla exhibits a departure from the movement. The intense subjectivism and introspection characteristic of Modernism fade, replaced by a focus on external reality.
In Solitudes, the landscape serves as a symbolic projection of the author’s inner self. In contrast, the landscape in Campos de Castilla becomes an objective source of inspiration. Instead of creating a Romantic atmosphere conducive to meditation, Machado describes real landscapes. The poet’s”” recedes into the background, making way for the observation of others. Machado seeks to find the key to a reality he had not encountered within himself by looking at others. Campos de Castilla can be seen as a return to a form of realistic poetry, offering an alternative to the waning Symbolist Modernism. This approach was not well-received by those who, like Juan Ramón Jiménez, sought to transcend Modernism through the path of pure poetry rather than realism. This divergence highlights two distinct directions that poetry would take in the years to come.
Campos de Castilla encompasses a diverse range of poems. As the title suggests, many poems depict the landscapes and people of Castile, highlighting the contrast between the region’s glorious past and its impoverished present. Alongside these descriptive texts are others that offer a bleak vision of the Spanish people.
After Leonor’s death in 1912, Machado’s perspective on the Castilian lands, viewed from Baeza, becomes more lyrical and poignant. The landscape is once again imbued with subjectivity. The Baeza period also saw the creation of poems featuring Andalusian landscapes and people. In these works, Machado observes the world of estates, gentlemen, and poverty, presenting a harsh critique of traditional Spain from a progressive standpoint that openly challenges conservative religious ideology.
The section titled “Proverbs and Songs” introduces a new type of philosophical and moral poetry. Machado blends philosophical and existential concerns with popular strophic forms, often infused with subtle irony. At times, these poems take on a circumstantial and even humorous tone. They serve as a channel for Machado’s deepest thoughts on God, truth, dreams, reality, and other profound themes.
The book concludes with the section “Elogios” (Praise), which showcases Machado’s intellectual dialogues with other writers of his time, including Azorín, Rubén Darío, Unamuno, and Juan Ramón Jiménez.