Miguel Hernández: Analysis of His Poetic Works and Themes

Miguel Hernández: An Analysis of His Poetic Legacy

Although there are many love poems—both for his wife and his child—few works capture the intensity of Miguel Hernández's struggle for the Republic as effectively as his own. Hernández’s colorful writing addresses his environment, nature, and sexuality. The final poem of his early collection, Perito en lunas, is themed around war (Guerra de verano).

Viento del pueblo and Wartime Positivism

Viento del pueblo is a book full of optimism regarding victory, encouraging his colleagues to continue the fight. In contrast, his later works—El hombre acecha and Cancionero y romancero de ausencias—are melancholic. They reflect his longing for his wife and son, and his poems from the front suggest a hint of pessimism. Rather than cheering enthusiastically, his later verses are slower, describing the pain of soldiers, which is perfectly reflected in the poem El tren de los heridos.

Symbolism and Nature in Hernández's Poetry

Miguel Hernández frequently used the tempus fugit motif, especially in poems referring to Manuel Ramón:

"The sun, the rose, and the child were born one day; flowers in each day are suns, flowers, new children, woke up to be a child, never wake up."

He continually uses elements of nature to describe the female form, such as the lemon (breasts) and animals like the deer (Canción del esposo soldado). He also frequently references the belly to speak of his son while still in Josefina's womb. His poems often address death, as he was surrounded by it; his son, Manuel Ramón, died at a very young age.

Structure of the Poetic Anthology

The poetic anthology of Miguel Hernández is composed of 165 poems divided into 14 books, organized chronologically and thematically:

• Poems I
• Perito en lunas
• Poems published in Crisis and Silves Gallo
• El silbo vulnerado
• Imagen de tu huella
• El rayo que no cesa
• Poems III
• Viento del pueblo
• Poems IV
• El hombre acecha
• Cancionero y romancero de ausencias

Chronology and Poetic Forms

As noted, the poems follow a thematic and chronological order, recounting the events that shaped his life: his land (Perito en lunas), the Civil War and the Republican front (Viento del pueblo), his love for Josefina, and the birth and death of his eldest son, Manuel Ramón (Cancionero y romancero de ausencias).

The most commonly used verse forms by the poet include:

• Quartet: Elegía
• Triplet: Teruel, Invierno puro
• Quartet: Jornaleros, Aceituneros
• Serventesio: Manos, Canción del esposo soldado, Canción de la independencia de Rusia
• Octaves: Perito en lunas
• Sonnet: Al ser
• Tenth: Ruy-señor y mirlo
• Song: Canción del antiaéreo