Miguel Hernández: Social and Political Evolution in Poetry

Miguel Hernández: Social and Political Engagement in Poetry

Early Period: Conformity and Religious Themes

In his initial stage, Miguel Hernández considered work and dedication as a means to reach God. In his first play, he condemned the religious revolutionary acts of peasants and the political demands of anarchists, communists, and trade unions. Therefore, this was a conformist, reactionary period. Miguel Hernández truly considered the common people, unlike the rest of the poets of the Group of 27 who never truly engaged in the people's problems. This position stemmed from the Generation of '98, who did not know how to understand and solve the social and political problems that beset them.

Shift Towards Social Commitment

However, Hernández provided suggestions and solutions in his writings. He developed a strong social commitment that especially focused his efforts on defending the land, dignifying the man of the field, and raising awareness of their rights. His new life in the capital, the political situation, and new friends caused Miguel from Orihuela to abandon his earlier ideology. Thus began a new period, with the working people claiming their rights. He abandoned pure Catholic poetry and began writing 'impure' poetry.

His first signs of social poetry are the poems of euphoria, which served to deny his reactionary past and free him from religious charges and prejudice. Hernández based his political commitment on everyday experiences lived by himself and his family.

War Poetry and Republican Ideals

Upon the declaration of war, he preferred the Republican side, identifying with the poor. He cultivated a poetry of propaganda and encouragement. He also reflected social concern and hope for children. His work Viento del Pueblo (Wind of the People) shows his optimistic and enthusiastic side, expressing hope for victory. It is a poem in which the personal gives way to the collective, and extols the virtue of patriotism. Miguel Hernández transitioned from themes of external nature and religion to a rebel and revolutionary message. His style became direct, intended to be understood by the humble.

During this epic period, there is also the issue of Spain: the initiation of the struggle for loyalty and ideals of solidarity and political commitment.

Later Works and Enduring Legacy

When the Republican defeat was imminent, the poet cried out with his work, the disheartening El hombre acecha (Man is a Hunter). It presents a pessimistic view of the war in general. However, the book ends with a plea for hope. The poet clings to life and hope through love. All his work is a commitment to the most vulnerable in society, remaining true to his humble origins. His social poetry is a synthesis of shared pain and a complaint against capitalist injustice.

After his trip to the USSR, he began writing poems aimed at extolling Soviet policy. All his poems place him as a model of a man committed to freedom and justice, representing all that the Second Spanish Republic meant as a desire to improve teaching, literacy, and cultivating a populace abandoned by educational policies.