Decoding the Poetic Symbols of Miguel Hernández

Early Works: The Orihuela Influence (1924–1931)

The poems of Miguel Hernández during his apprenticeship (1924–1931) feature imagery drawn directly from his environment in Orihuela. As José Luis Ferris notes, these include the lemon, the well, the fig, the pitas, and the patio. The image of the shepherd poet, which consistently accompanies Hernández, is beautifully reflected in the composition 'Dear milking squat / one goat and a sleep.'

Perito en lunas (1933)

In Perito en lunas, the symbols are prominent:

• The Bull: Represents sacrifice and death.
• The Palm: A Mediterranean landscape element compared to a jet, a column, and a pump.

Hernández utilizes symbols of his time, such as his description of the vanes of Christians dancing in corners.

El rayo que no cesa (1936)

The main theme of El rayo que no cesa is love, around which all symbols rotate:

• Lightning, fire, and burning: Represent desire, linking the work to literary tradition.
• Blood: Symbolizes sexual desire.
• Shirt and Lemon: Represent the male and female breast, respectively, as seen in the sonnet 'I threw a lemon, and bitter.'

Some verses suggest a more fulfilling sexual relationship.

Viento del pueblo (1937)

In Viento del pueblo, the cowardly and resigned people who do not fight are identified with the ox (oxen bend the front). The poet's eye becomes one of solidarity with the suffering, leading to poems like 'The Child Yuntero.' The contrast between rich and poor is depicted in 'Hands,' symbolizing the two Spains. Following his marriage to Josefina Manresa, the focus shifts from desire to motherhood, with the belly becoming a central symbol.

Man Stalks (1939)

In Man Stalks, the two Spains appear in conflict through hunger, as the poet fights against the "satisfied bellies." Death is symbolized by a train that stops only at hospitals—centers of human pain: 'Trains of rainy, loose blood.'

Songs and Ballads of Absence

This posthumous collection opens with an elegy for the author's first son, Manuel Ramón. Images are evoked through intangibles: 'clothing with your scent / towels with the scent; bed without heat / shade cloth.' In 'Nanas de la cebolla,' the new child symbolizes the poet's survival: 'Your smile makes me free / I put wings / Solitudes remove me / me starts jail.' In this context, death is symbolized by the sea.