▁a ▁Spanish ▁poet ▁and ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁leading ▁figures ▁of ▁the ▁Spanish ▁literary ▁movement ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Generation ▁of ▁' 9 8 . ▁His ▁work , ▁initially ▁modern ist , ▁evol ved ▁towards ▁an ▁int imate ▁form ▁of ▁symbol ism ▁with ▁rom antic ▁tra its , ▁which ▁itself ▁m ature d ▁towards ▁a ▁style ▁character ised ▁by ▁both ▁an ▁eng agement ▁with ▁human ity ▁on ▁one ▁side ▁and ▁an ▁almost ▁T ao ist ▁cont empl ation ▁of ▁existence ▁on ▁the ▁other , ▁a ▁synth esis ▁that ▁according ▁to ▁Mach ado ▁echo ed ▁the ▁most ▁ancient ▁popular ▁wisdom . ▁In ▁Ger ardo ▁Diego ' s ▁words , ▁Mach ado ▁" sp oke ▁in ▁verse ▁and ▁lived ▁in ▁poetry ." ▁ ▁Biography ▁Mach ado ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Se ville , ▁Spain ▁one ▁year ▁after ▁his ▁brother ▁Manuel . ▁The ▁family ▁moved ▁to ▁Madrid ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 3 ▁and ▁both ▁brothers ▁en rolled ▁in ▁the ▁Inst itu ción ▁Lib re ▁de ▁En se ñ anza . ▁During ▁these ▁years , ▁and ▁with ▁the ▁encourag ement ▁of ▁his ▁teachers , ▁Antonio ▁discovered ▁his ▁passion ▁for ▁literature . ▁While ▁comple ting ▁his ▁Bach iller ato ▁in ▁Madrid , ▁economic ▁difficulties ▁forced ▁him ▁to ▁take ▁several ▁jobs ▁including ▁working ▁as ▁an ▁actor . ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 9 ▁he ▁and ▁his ▁brother ▁tra ve led ▁to ▁Paris ▁to ▁work ▁as ▁transl ators ▁for ▁a ▁French ▁publish er . ▁During ▁these ▁months ▁in ▁Paris ▁he ▁came ▁into ▁contact ▁with ▁the ▁great ▁French ▁Symbol ist ▁po ets ▁Jean