Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer

Born in Seville in 1836 and later active in Madrid, he wrote poetry, legends, and journalism that became central to Spanish Romantic literature. He is especially known for Rimas and Leyendas, works admired for their emotional clarity, melancholy, and dreamlike atmosphere.

His life was marked by hardship, including financial strain and poor health, and he died in 1870 at just thirty-four. A large part of his reputation grew after his death, when friends helped preserve and publish his work.

Today he is often seen as a bridge between Romanticism and a more modern, inward style of poetry. His poems are concise and musical, and his stories blend love, memory, mystery, and the supernatural in a way that still feels fresh.