Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer (1836 - 1870, Spain) was one of the most influential poets of Spanish Romanticism. After the early death of his parents, he lived with his wealthy godmother. In 1854, he went to Madrid as a freelance writer and poet, where he fell ill with tuberculosis. His unhappy marriage, which ended in separation, produced three children. From 1864 to 1868, Bécquer worked as a novel censor. He died on 22 December 1870 in Madrid as a result of his failing health, in the middle of preparing his Obras Completas (‘Collected Works’) at the age of just 34.