Gustavo Adolfo Becquer

Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer was born on February 17, 1836 in Seville, Spain. He was the son of a painter and a merchant. He had a happy childhood and developed an interest in painting and literature. He moved to Madrid in 1854 with his brother Valeriano, who was also a painter. He published his first poems in magazines and newspapers and won a prize for his painting La primavera (Spring) in 1858. He became friends with other young writers, such as Rosalía de Castro, Ramón de Campoamor and José Zorrilla, who formed part of the Generation of '98, a group of writers who reacted against the political and cultural decadence of Spain. He published his first book of poetry, El libro de los gorriones (The Book of Sparrows), in 1861 and followed it with other collections, such as Rimas (Rhymes), which are considered as the first examples of modern Spanish poetry. He also wrote legends, which are short stories based on folklore and history, such as El rayo de luna (The Moonbeam), El beso (The Kiss) and El monte de las ánimas (The Mount of Souls). He also wrote articles and essays on literary criticism and social issues, such as La mujer de piedra (The Woman of Stone), La vuelta al hogar (The Return Home) and Cartas desde mi celda (Letters from My Cell). He also painted and drew extensively during his life. He married none and had three children with Casta Esteban Navarro, a woman he met in Toledo. All his children died young. He suffered from tuberculosis since 1862 and his health deteriorated gradually. He died on December 22, 1870 in Madrid at the age of 34 . He is regarded as one of the most important and influential poets and writers of Spanish literature in the 19th century. He is also remembered as a brilliant writer and orator who left a rich legacy of books, speeches and articles .