Background
Ercilla was born on August 7, 1533, in Madrid, Spain.
Ercilla was born on August 7, 1533, in Madrid, Spain.
In 1555 he went to the Spanish settlements in America, where he fought against the Araucanian Indians in campaigns designed to consolidate the conquest of Chile. He is said to have composed parts of La Araucana during lulls in battle. In 1562 he returned to Spain and continued to work on the poem, finally publishing it in three parts (1569; 1578; 1589). He died in Madrid, Nov. 29, 1594.