BÉCQUER

BIOGRAPHY

Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer, original name Gustavo Adolfo Domínguez Bastida (born on February 17, 1836, in Sevilla, Spain and died on December 22, 1870, in Madrid), poet and author of the late Romantic period who is considered one of the first modern Spanish poets.

He moved to Madrid in 1854 in pursuit of a literary career. Bécquer received acclaim only after his death from tuberculosis at the age 34.

Bécquer’s major literary production consists of nearly 100 Rimas (“Rhymes”), a series of about 20 Leyendas (“Legends”) in prose, and the literary essays Cartas desde mi celda (1864; “Letters from My Cell”).

Bécquer’s poetry explores themes of love—particularly in connection with disillusionment and loneliness—and the mysteries of life and poetry. 

Bécquer’s prose pieces, Leyendas, are characterized by medieval settings, supernatural characters such as nymphs, and a mysterious, dreamlike atmosphere. Written in a lyrical, richly coloured style, the narratives are based upon the themes of love, death, and the world beyond.