Antonio Machado (1875-1939) is one of the most important poets in Spanish literature and the youngest representative of the Generation of '98. His early works, inscribed in the Symbolist modernist movement, are characterized by their intimate, subjective, and fragmentary style.
Later, he began a less intimate and more historical period, with the landscape as a central element. His later period, on the other hand, was marked by the influence of popular poetry.
Machado was born on July 26th, 1875, in Seville, eleven months after the birth of his brother Manuel Machado, who also cultivated poetry as well as theater. In 1883, he settled with his family in Madrid, where he attended various high schools and the Institución Libre de Enseñanza, which shaped his intellectual thinking. In the capital, the Machado brothers allowed themselves to be captivated by the bohemian lifestyle and frequented artists' cafés, tablaos, and literary gatherings.
In 1899, Antonio made his first trip to Paris, where his brother was already waiting for him. There, they both worked for the Garnier publishing house and mingled with illustrious figures such as Pío Baroja and Oscar Wilde. In October of that same year, he returned to Madrid and began to explore modernism. After a second trip to Paris in 1902, he returned to the Spanish capital and submitted the manuscript of his first book, Soledades, to a printer.
