Poetry

I have really enjoyed all of the different time periods, wars, movements, etc. that we have been able to experience and read about in this short time period during the quarter. I think it’s given us a great general perspective on what Spain has gone through, what people are inspired by, and how they have struggled but also prospered and accomplishment through the challenges the country has faced. I first read the poems without any background information (it was before our lecture on the Generation of ’98) and I was so confused on what was going on and what the poems were describing because I had no context to go off of. However, after hearing the lecture and discussing what was going on with Spain and Cuba during this time, and the movement of Modernismo, it is all slowly making a lot more sense, especially after going through most of the poems in class yesterday. I am amazed by both the simplicity of the writing of Antonio Machado, but the hidden complexity and multitude of issues that he discusses through his poems. I like it because his writing lays things out there, but then it is up to the reader to form their own opinion and make observations about what he is means. Like we discovered in class, some of the things he says could be taken in many different directions. I especially respect poetry because it is a soft, yet strong way to express opinions and shed light on a situation while still showing the talent and art of writing.