Pilar de Valderrama facts for kids

Pilar de Valderrama Alday (born September 27, 1889 – died October 15, 1979) was a Spanish poet and writer. She wrote plays and poems. She is also known as Guiomar. This name came from the letters she exchanged with the famous poet Antonio Machado between 1928 and 1936.

About Pilar's Life

Pilar Valderrama grew up in a wealthy family in Madrid, Spain. When she was 19, she married Rafael Martínez Romarate, an engineer. They had three children together.

From a young age, Pilar was very involved in cultural activities. She was a member of the Lyceum Club, a special place where many smart and creative women of her time met. She also hosted gatherings at her home with other writers and artists. She even started her own amateur theater group called Fantasio.

Pilar's own writings were not very famous during her lifetime. However, she became much better known after 1981. This was when people found out she was the "Guiomar" that Antonio Machado wrote about in his poems. In her book Si, soy Guiomar. Memorias de mi vida (Yes, I am Guiomar. Memories of my life), which was published after she died, Pilar included some of the letters she had saved from Machado.

Pilar's Friendship with Antonio Machado

Pilar's special friendship with the poet Antonio Machado began in 1928. It was kept secret for many years, even after Machado passed away in 1939. In 1950, a book by another writer, Concha Espina, hinted at the story but kept Guiomar's identity a secret. It wasn't until 1981, when Pilar's own memories were published, that everyone learned she was Guiomar. Her book included 36 of the 240 letters Machado had written to her.

Pilar's Story of Their Friendship

Pilar went to Segovia to find some quiet time. She met Machado there, who was a teacher in Segovia. Machado, who was 52, quickly fell in love with her. However, Pilar told him that because she was married, they could only be friends.

Their friendship lasted about eight years. They met weekly, either in Segovia or Madrid. In Madrid, they had a special cafe they called "our corner." When they couldn't meet, they would imagine being together at a certain time. They called this special moment of connection "the third world." Machado often mentioned this in his letters. Pilar even used it as the title for one of her plays.

In 1935, Pilar stopped their weekly meetings, saying the streets of Madrid were not safe. After that, they only communicated through letters. Their letters stopped completely in March 1936. This was when Pilar's husband decided to move the family to Estoril in Portugal. The borders were closed, so they could no longer send letters.

Machado continued to write poems for Guiomar. One of these is a sonnet (a 14-line poem) written during the war. Many people believe this poem was his last secret message to Pilar.

Machado never told his family about his friendship with Pilar. After he died, a piece of paper was found in his coat with a line of poetry that seemed to be for Guiomar.

What Really Happened

After the military uprising in July 1936, Pilar returned to Spain. She went to a house in Palencia and an estate called "El Carrascal." She wanted to make sure her family's properties were safe after the area was taken over by soldiers.

Pilar After Machado

Some people believe the name Guiomar was inspired by the "El Carrascal" estate. This is because it was near the old home of Jorge Manrique, a poet whom both Machado and Pilar admired. Manrique had written poems to his wife, also named Guiomar. Pilar said she learned about Machado's death months after it happened, while she was at this farm. It also took her some years to find out about Machado's last sonnet.

In 1938, Pilar and her husband toured Spain with a theater company. They performed many classic plays.

Pilar moved back to Madrid in 1940. She told her friend Concha Espina about her friendship with Machado. Concha Espina, who was a journalist, encouraged Pilar to share her story. Pilar agreed, but only if her name was kept secret at first. This way, people could finally understand the poems Machado had written. Pilar de Valderrama passed away in 1979, shortly after her 90th birthday. Her memories were published two years later, and Machado's letters were given to the National Library in Madrid.

Different Ideas About Guiomar

Before 1950, no one knew who Guiomar was, so literary experts had many different ideas about her. When Concha Espina's book came out in 1950, it showed that Guiomar was a real person to whom Machado wrote love letters. Even with this clue, some experts still thought Guiomar might have other meanings.

In 1981, the discussion changed when Pilar de Valderrama's book Si, soy Guiomar. Memorias de mi vida was published. In the title, she clearly stated she was Guiomar. She also provided 36 of Machado's letters as proof. Despite this evidence, some theories still suggest that Guiomar was an idea or concept, like Machado's deceased wife Leonor. Other theories, based on some poems thought to be written before Machado met Pilar, suggested Guiomar was just another imaginary character created by Machado. However, later research has shown that these poems were not written earlier.

Since 1981, most experts on Antonio Machado have said that Pilar Valderrama used Machado's fame to become more known. But even with all the curiosity around the "Guiomar case," the most important thing is the mix of intelligence and love that came from Antonio Machado's life and writings.

Pilar's Works

Poetry

• Las piedras de Horeb (1923): Her first poetry book. It had illustrations by her husband and a cover by his brother-in-law, Victorio Macho.
• Huerto cerrado (1928): This was her favorite book. It showed her love for older Spanish poets.
• Esencias (1930): This book had poems in both verse and prose. Antonio Machado even wrote a review about it.
• Holocausto (1943): This book was dedicated to her son who died young. It included a poem by Manuel Machado.
• Obra poética (1958): A collection of her poems, including "Espacio," written in 1949.
• Pilar de Valderrama (Guiomar), De mar a mar (1984): A book published after her death, with some poems that had not been seen before. Its title clearly shows her connection to Antonio Machado.

Theater

• El tercer mundo (1934): This play was written before July 1930.
• La vida que no se vive: This play was not published, but it was read at the Ateneo de Madrid in 1970.
• Sueño de las tres princesas: Also not published, this play was performed in her home theater "Fantasio" in 1929.

Autobiography

• Si, soy Guiomar. Memorias de mi vida (1981): This book tells her life story and includes her letters with Machado.

See also

In Spanish: Pilar de Valderrama para niños