Manuel Machado (poet) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
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Manuel Machado
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| Born |
Manuel Machado y Ruiz
29 August 1874 Seville, Spain
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| Died | 19 January 1947 (aged 72) Madrid, Spain
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| Seat N of the Real Academia Española | |
| In office 19 February 1938 – 19 January 1947 |
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| Preceded by | Leonardo Torres Quevedo |
| Succeeded by | Francisco Javier Sánchez Cantón |
Manuel Machado y Ruiz (born August 29, 1874, in Seville, died January 19, 1947, in Madrid) was a famous Spanish poet. He was an important part of a group of writers called the Generation of 98.
Manuel was known for his unique style. He blended modern ideas with the traditional spirit of Andalusia, his home region.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Manuel Machado was born into a creative family. His father, Antonio Machado Álvarez, was a well-known expert in traditional culture. People called him "Demófilo." Manuel's mother was Ana Ruiz.
Manuel had two brothers who also became famous poets: Antonio Machado and José Machado. The family lived in the Palacio de las Dueñas in Seville when Manuel was young.
Moving to Madrid
When Manuel was nine, his family moved to Madrid. His grandfather became a professor at a university there. The Machado brothers wanted to study at the Free Institution of Teaching. This school was led by Francisco Giner de los Ríos, a good friend of their grandfather.
Manuel did well in his studies in Madrid. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. Even though the family didn't visit Seville often after that, Manuel always remembered his home. The love his parents had for their land stayed with him.
Literary Career
In Madrid, Manuel started sharing his poems. He wrote for different literary magazines. He worked alongside other writers like Juan Ramón Jiménez.
Manuel also helped start the Association of Friends of the Soviet Union in 1933.
Working in Madrid
Over the years, Manuel became the director of Madrid's Municipal Library. He also directed the Municipal Museum. He created several short-lived literary magazines. He wrote for newspapers in Europe and America too.
Manuel Machado greatly influenced a style of poetry called Modernism. He used colorful, elegant, and worldly themes. He added a special touch of Andalusian poetry to his work. This made his poems very unique.
Joining the Royal Spanish Academy
In 1936, during the Spanish Civil War, Manuel was chosen for a seat in the Royal Spanish Academy. This was a great honor for a writer.
Dramatic Works
Manuel Machado often worked with his brother Antonio. Together, they wrote several plays. These plays were often in the Andalusian style.
Manuel's most famous play is La Lola se va a los puertos. This play was so popular that it was made into a movie twice.
Other plays by Manuel Machado include La duquesa de Benamejí and Juan de Mañara.
Poetry Style and Later Life
Manuel and Antonio Machado had different poetry styles. However, they shared some similarities. For example, both wrote poems about their own lives. Manuel wrote "Adelfos," and Antonio wrote "Portrait." They both used long lines of poetry called Alexandrine verses.
The Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) caused the brothers to be on opposite sides. When Manuel returned to Madrid after the war began, he wrote a poem praising the military leader. This poem earned him support from the Nationalists.
After the war, Manuel returned to his job as director of the Newspaper Library and the Municipal Museum. He retired soon after.
Religious Poetry
Manuel continued to write poetry. Most of his later poems were about religious topics. His Catholic faith became stronger during a stay in Burgos. His wife's devotion and the influence of priests also helped.
He also wrote poems praising figures and symbols of Francoist Spain. Some critics and later poets didn't like this. They felt he had betrayed the ideas of the Spanish Second Republic.
Manuel Machado died in Madrid on January 19, 1947.
Legacy
In the 1960s and 1970s, Spain became more open. The government started to recognize poets who had been ignored or lived in exile. Because of this, Manuel Machado's work was less celebrated than his brother Antonio's. Antonio's work was more popular at the time.
Famous Poems
Here are some well-known poems by Manuel Machado:
- CANTARES
- Vino, sentimiento, guitarra y poesía
- hacen los cantares de la patria mía.
- Quien dice cantares dice Andalucía.
- A la sombra fresca de la vieja parra,
- un mozo moreno rasguea la guitarra...
- Cantares...
- Algo que acaricia y algo que desgarra.
- La prima que canta y el bordón que llora...
- Y el tiempo callado se va hora tras hora.
- Cantares...
- Son dejos fatales de la raza mora.
- No importa la vida, que ya está perdida,
- y, después de todo, ¿qué es eso, la vida?...
- Cantares...
- Cantando la pena, la pena se olvida.
- Madre, pena, suerte, pena, madre, muerte,
- ojos negros, negros, y negra la suerte...
- Cantares...
- En ellos el alma del alma se vierte.
- Cantares. Cantares de la patria mía,
- quien dice cantares dice Andalucía.
- Cantares...
- No tiene más notas la guitarra mía.
- CASTILLA
- El ciego sol se estrella
- en las duras aristas de las armas,
- llaga de luz los petos y espaldares
- y flamea en las puntas de las lanzas.
- El ciego sol, la sed y la fatiga.
- Por la terrible estepa castellana,
- al destierro, con doce de los suyos
- —polvo, sudor y hierro—, el Cid cabalga.
- Cerrado está el mesón a piedra y lodo.
- Nadie responde. Al pomo de la espada
- y al cuento de las picas el postigo
- va a ceder... ¡Quema el sol, el aire abrasa!
- A los terribles golpes,
- de eco ronco, una voz pura, de plata
- y de cristal responde... Hay una niña
- muy débil y muy blanca
- en el umbral. Es toda
- ojos azules y en los ojos lágrimas.
- Oro pálido nimba
- su carita curiosa y asustada.
- «¡Buen Cid, pasad...! El rey nos dará muerte,
- arruinará la casa,
- y sembrará de sal el pobre campo
- que mi padre trabaja...
- Idos. El cielo os colme de venturas...
- ¡En nuestro mal, oh Cid no ganáis nada!»
- Calla la niña y llora sin gemido...
- Un sollozo infantil cruza la escuadra
- de feroces guerreros,
- y una voz inflexible grita «¡En marcha!»
- El ciego sol, la sed y la fatiga.
- Por la terrible estepa castellana,
- al destierro, con doce de los suyos
- —polvo, sudor y hierro—, el Cid cabalga.
- LA COPLA
| Original Spanish | English translation |
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Hasta que el pueblo las canta, |
Until the people sing them, |
See also
In Spanish: Manuel Machado para niños
