On December 22, 1870, in a cold attic in Madrid, the world lost the man but gave birth to the myth. Gustavo Adolfo Becker He died at the age of 34 from an illness that, like his poetry, vacillated between the ethereal and the tragic. Today, on the 155th anniversary of his departureHis figure survives not only as a pillar of late Romanticism but also as a forerunner of poetic modernism in Spanish, inspiring readers, writers, critics and lovers.
In contrast to his contemporaries, Bécquer tried to get rid of all ornamentation in order to get to the essence of feeling.
The pillars of his legacy
Bécquer’s work is not extensive, but it is his The emotional density is incomparable. His production is divided mainly into two aspects: poetic introspection and Gothic and folkloric narrative.
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rhymes
It is a collection of short, assonant poems with an almost invisible musicality. In it, Bécquer articulates a theory of poetry as something independent of language: a spirit that exists before the poet attempts to capture it. Central topics: Literary creation, idealized love, disappointment and the emptiness of death.
Legends
While in the rhymes It is subjective in that Legends Bécquer becomes the archaeologist of the mystery. These prose tales elevate Spanish folklore to the category of fantastic art. Key title: The moonbeam, The mountain of souls (considered one of the best pieces of Gothic horror in Spanish) and The green eyes.
Letters from my cell
These letters, written during his stay at the Veruela Monastery, are an exercise in literary journalism and personal meditation, in which he describes the Aragonese landscape with a pictorial sensibility inherited from his artistic family.
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Reader’s Guide: Where should I start?
To understand that emotional and literary development of Gustavo Adolfo Bécquerit is advisable to take a path that allows you to appreciate both its poetry and its narrative. You can start with that first rhymes (I to XI)in which the reader delves into his philosophy on what poetry and the awakening of desire is, capturing sensitivity and musicality.
Then that’s it It is advisable to read theirs Legendswhich offer a break from the lyrical intensity and allow one to immerse oneself in Bécquer’s storytelling ability, characterized by a gothic, mysterious and enveloping atmosphere. These stories reveal his talent for creating worlds where fantasy and emotion merge with reality.
After familiarizing himself with his narrative, It is convenient to continue with the rest of the rhymeswhere poems that focus on heartbreak, melancholy and death take on a deeper meaning, enriched by the prior experience of their prose. Here the maturity of his thinking and the universality of his feelings are perceived.
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Finally you can Read carefully Letters from my cella text that brings us closer to the most intimate Bécquer personality, reflecting his fragile health, his connection to nature and his philosophical view of life and artistic creation. This work offers a personal dimension that completes the understanding of his literary legacy.
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