Miguel Hernández facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Miguel Hernández
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Miguel Hernández in 1939
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| Born | Miguel Hernández Gilabert 30 October 1910 Orihuela, Spain |
| Died | 28 March 1942 (aged 31) Alicante, Spain |
| Occupation | Poet, playwright |
| Language | Spanish |
| Nationality | Spanish |
| Genre | Poetry |
| Literary movement | Generation of '27 Generation of '36 |
| Notable works | El rayo que no cesa Viento del pueblo El hombre acecha Cancionero y romancero de ausencias |
| Spouse | Josefina Manresa (1916–1987) |
| Children | Manuel Ramón (1937–1938) Manuel Miguel (1939–1984) |
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Miguel Hernández Gilabert (born October 30, 1910 – died March 28, 1942) was a famous Spanish poet and playwright. He lived in the 20th century and was part of important literary groups like the Generation of '27 and the Generation of '36.
Miguel grew up in a family that didn't have much money. He learned a lot about literature by himself, even though it was hard. At school, he became friends with Ramón Sijé. Ramón was well-educated and shared many books with Miguel. Ramón's death later inspired Miguel's most famous poem, Elegy.
Miguel Hernández passed away from a serious illness called tuberculosis. He was in prison because of his strong support for the Republican side during the Spanish Civil War. His last book, Cancionero y romancero de ausencias, was published after he died. This book is a collection of poems he wrote while in prison. Some were written on small pieces of toilet paper, and others were saved from letters he sent to his wife. It is considered one of the best Spanish poetry collections of the 20th century.
Contents
Miguel Hernández's Life Story
Miguel Hernández was born in Orihuela, Alicante, Spain. His family was poor, and he did not get much formal schooling. He spent his childhood working as a goatherd and a farmhand. He mostly taught himself to read and write, though he did attend some state schools and a Jesuit school.
Early Life and Learning
His friend Ramón Sijé introduced him to the world of books. When he was young, Miguel greatly admired Luis de Góngora, a Spanish poet from a long time ago. Góngora's style influenced Miguel's early poems. Miguel also learned from other famous Spanish writers and new European art movements like surrealism.
Miguel was part of a group of Spanish writers who cared deeply about workers' rights. Even though he used new ideas in his poems, he always kept classic Spanish rhythms and rhymes.
Miguel's Role in the Spanish Civil War
Miguel Hernández was a member of the Communist Party of Spain. When the Spanish Civil War began, he joined the Fifth Regiment and later served in the 11th Division during the Battle of Teruel. He actively supported the Second Spanish Republic during the war. He wrote poems and spoke to soldiers at the front lines to encourage them.
Family Life During Difficult Times
During the Civil War, on March 9, 1937, Miguel married Josefina Manresa Marhuenda. He had met her in 1933 in Orihuela. Josefina was a great inspiration for many of his romantic poems.
They had their first son, Manuel Ramón, on December 19, 1937. Sadly, he passed away young, on October 19, 1938. A few months later, their second son, Manuel Miguel, was born on January 4, 1939. Josefina lived until February 18, 1987.
Imprisonment and Final Years
After the war ended, Miguel could not leave Spain like some others. He was arrested many times because he had opposed the new government. In 1939, he was put on trial with 28 other people. He was accused of being a communist and writing poems that went against the new government.
He was sentenced to a very harsh punishment, but this was later changed to a 30-year prison term. He was moved between many jails, and conditions were very tough. He suffered from pneumonia and bronchitis. In 1942, he became very ill with typhus and tuberculosis in a prison in Alicante. He passed away there. Just before he died, he wrote his last words on a hospital wall: Goodbye, brothers, comrades, friends: let me take my leave of the sun and the fields. Some of his poems were even kept by his jailers.
Poetry from Prison
While in prison, Miguel wrote an amazing amount of poetry. Many of these were simple songs. He collected these poems and sent them to his wife and others. These works are now known as his Cancionero y romancero de ausencias (Songs and Ballads of Absence).
In these poems, he wrote about the sadness of the Spanish Civil War and being in prison. He also wrote about the death of his baby son and how his wife and other son struggled to survive in poverty. The strong feelings and simple style of these poems, combined with his difficult situation, make them very powerful.
One of Miguel Hernández's most famous poems is "Nanas de la cebolla" ("Onion Lullaby"). He wrote this poem after his wife told him in a letter that she was surviving on just bread and onions. In the poem, he imagines his son drinking his mother's "onion blood" (sangre de cebolla). He uses the child's laughter to show hope against the mother's sadness. In this poem, he turns his wife's body into a powerful symbol of both sadness and hope for a broken Spain.
Seeking Justice for Miguel Hernández
In July 2010, Miguel's family went to the Supreme Court of Spain. They asked for his original guilty verdict to be canceled. In 1939, he had been called "an extremely dangerous and despicable element." The leader at the time, Francisco Franco, later reduced his sentence.
In March 2010, the Spanish government gave his family a "declaration of reparation." However, his daughter-in-law, Lucía Izquierdo, said they wanted more. They wanted the original sentence to be completely voided and for him to be declared innocent. The family's lawyers had new evidence: a letter from 1939 by a military official named Juan Bellod. This letter spoke about Miguel's good character and innocence.
Miguel Hernández's Works
Miguel Hernández wrote many poems and plays. Here are some of his important works:
Poetry Collections
- Perito en lunas (Lunar expert, 1933)
- El rayo que no cesa (Unceasing Lightning, 1936)
- Viento del pueblo (1937)
- El hombre acecha (1939)
- Cancionero y romancero de ausencias (incomplete, 1938–1942)
Plays
- Quién te ha visto y quién te ve y sombra de lo que eras (If only they could see you now, and shadow of what you were, 1934)
- El torero más valiente (The Bravest Bullfighter, 1934)
- Hijos de la piedra (The sons of the stone, 1935)
- El labrador de más aire (The farmer of more air, 1937)
Legacy
Miguel Hernández's memory is honored in Spain. The Miguel Hernández University of Elche and the Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport are named after him. There is also a Madrid Metro station called Miguel Hernández, which is decorated with his poetry.
See also
- Generation of '27
- Generation of '36
- Spanish poetry
Images for kids
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Miguel Hernández's signature
