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El hombre y su poesía
De la perfeccion clasica, casi gongorina, de Perito en lunas (1933), parte un recorrido y una mitologia personal que nos adentra en los temas humanos mas hondos de El rayo que no cesa (1934-1935): el amor vivido con un vitalismo tragico, el convencionalismo aldeano y el compromiso politico.
248 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1974
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About the author
Miguel Hernández
258 books181 followersMiguel Hernández, born in Orihuela (Alicante Province), was a leading 20th century Spanish poet and playwright.
Hernández was born to a poor family and received little formal education; he published his first book of poetry at 23, and gained considerable fame before his death. He spent his childhood as a goatherd and farmhand, and was, for the most part, self-taught, although he did receive basic education from state schools and the Jesuits. He was introduced to literature by friend Ramon Sijé. As a youth, Hernández greatly admired the Spanish Baroque lyric poet Luis de Góngora, who was an influence in his early works. Like many Spanish poets of his era, he was deeply influenced by European vanguard movements, notably by Surrealism. Though Hernández employed novel images and concepts in his verses, he never abandoned classical, popular rhythms and rhymes. Two of his most famous poems were inspired by the death of his friends Ignacio Sánchez Mejías and Ramon Sijé.
Hernández campaigned for the Republic during the Spanish Civil War, writing poetry and addressing troops deployed to the front.
During the Civil War, on the ninth of March in 1937, he married Josefina Manresa Marhuenda, whom he had met in 1933 in Orihuela. His wife inspired him to write most of his romantic work. Their first son, Manuel Ramon, was born on 19 December 1937 but died in infancy on 19 October 1938. Months later came their second son, Manuel Miguel (b. 4 January 1939, d. 1984).
Unlike others, he could not escape Spain after the Republican surrender and was arrested multiple times after the war for his anti-fascist sympathies, and was eventually sentenced to death. His death sentence, however, was commuted to a prison term of 30 years, leading to incarceration in multiple jails under extraordinarily harsh conditions until he eventually succumbed to tuberculosis in 1942. Just before his death, Hernández scrawled his last verse on the wall of the hospital: Goodbye, brothers, comrades, friends: let me take my leave of the sun and the fields. Some of his verses were kept by his jailers.
While in prison, Hernández produced an extraordinary amount of poetry, much of it in the form of simple songs, which the poet collected in his papers and sent to his wife and others. These poems are now known as his Cancionero y romancero de ausencia (Songs and Ballads of Absence). In these works, the poet writes not only of the tragedy of the Spanish Civil War and his own incarceration, but also of the death of an infant son and the struggle of his wife and another son to survive in poverty. The intensity and simplicity of the poems, combined with the extraordinary situation of the poet, give them remarkable power.
Perhaps Hernández's best known poem is "Nanas de cebolla" ("Onion Lullaby"), a reply in verse to a letter from his wife in which she informed him that she was surviving on bread and onions. In the poem, the poet envisions his son breastfeeding on his mother's onion blood (sangre de cebolla), and uses the child's laughter as a counterpoint to the mother's desperation. In this as in other poems, the poet turns his wife's body into a mythic symbol of desperation and hope, of regenerative power desperately needed in a broken Spain.
Hernández was born to a poor family and received little formal education; he published his first book of poetry at 23, and gained considerable fame before his death. He spent his childhood as a goatherd and farmhand, and was, for the most part, self-taught, although he did receive basic education from state schools and the Jesuits. He was introduced to literature by friend Ramon Sijé. As a youth, Hernández greatly admired the Spanish Baroque lyric poet Luis de Góngora, who was an influence in his early works. Like many Spanish poets of his era, he was deeply influenced by European vanguard movements, notably by Surrealism. Though Hernández employed novel images and concepts in his verses, he never abandoned classical, popular rhythms and rhymes. Two of his most famous poems were inspired by the death of his friends Ignacio Sánchez Mejías and Ramon Sijé.
Hernández campaigned for the Republic during the Spanish Civil War, writing poetry and addressing troops deployed to the front.
During the Civil War, on the ninth of March in 1937, he married Josefina Manresa Marhuenda, whom he had met in 1933 in Orihuela. His wife inspired him to write most of his romantic work. Their first son, Manuel Ramon, was born on 19 December 1937 but died in infancy on 19 October 1938. Months later came their second son, Manuel Miguel (b. 4 January 1939, d. 1984).
Unlike others, he could not escape Spain after the Republican surrender and was arrested multiple times after the war for his anti-fascist sympathies, and was eventually sentenced to death. His death sentence, however, was commuted to a prison term of 30 years, leading to incarceration in multiple jails under extraordinarily harsh conditions until he eventually succumbed to tuberculosis in 1942. Just before his death, Hernández scrawled his last verse on the wall of the hospital: Goodbye, brothers, comrades, friends: let me take my leave of the sun and the fields. Some of his verses were kept by his jailers.
While in prison, Hernández produced an extraordinary amount of poetry, much of it in the form of simple songs, which the poet collected in his papers and sent to his wife and others. These poems are now known as his Cancionero y romancero de ausencia (Songs and Ballads of Absence). In these works, the poet writes not only of the tragedy of the Spanish Civil War and his own incarceration, but also of the death of an infant son and the struggle of his wife and another son to survive in poverty. The intensity and simplicity of the poems, combined with the extraordinary situation of the poet, give them remarkable power.
Perhaps Hernández's best known poem is "Nanas de cebolla" ("Onion Lullaby"), a reply in verse to a letter from his wife in which she informed him that she was surviving on bread and onions. In the poem, the poet envisions his son breastfeeding on his mother's onion blood (sangre de cebolla), and uses the child's laughter as a counterpoint to the mother's desperation. In this as in other poems, the poet turns his wife's body into a mythic symbol of desperation and hope, of regenerative power desperately needed in a broken Spain.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
September 13, 2018
Sin duda alguna mi poeta favorito de todos los tiempos.
Escribe y describe, con toda la claridad, sencillez, sensibilidad y toda su alma poemas que se quedaran conmigo toda la vida.
Y no sólo tiene hermosos poemas de amor, también contra las guerras, contra las injusticias y su maravillosa "Nanas de cebolla".
Todos los años releo alguno de sus poemas.
Imprescindible.
Escribe y describe, con toda la claridad, sencillez, sensibilidad y toda su alma poemas que se quedaran conmigo toda la vida.
Y no sólo tiene hermosos poemas de amor, también contra las guerras, contra las injusticias y su maravillosa "Nanas de cebolla".
Todos los años releo alguno de sus poemas.
Imprescindible.
December 1, 2023
«tanto dolor se agrupa en mi costado,
que por doler me duele hasta el aliento.»
(…)
«y mis heridas serán
los derramados tinteros,
las bocas estremecidas
de rememorar tus besos
y con su inaudita voz
han de repetir: te quiero.»
(…)
«querer, querer, querer,
ésa fue mi corona.
Ésa es.»
(…)
«pero hay un rato de sol en la lucha
que siempre deja la sombra vencida.»
February 17, 2019
Antes del odio es la sublimación de su poesía. Libre soy. Siénteme libre. Sólo por amor.
October 8, 2021
No me gusta mucho (nada) leer poseía pero sí a Miguel Hernández
May 1, 2025
Toros y tetas - Revolución - Paternidad y olivos
May 27, 2024
bellessa, vibració humana, dolor, brutalitat de la guerra, fam i misèria, la lluita del poble. amor per la seua dona i el seu fill, ternura absoluta, intimitat. llegir com ell presentia la seua tragèdia, com pasa de la llum i el color d’un poeta jove que deixa de ser pastor per a juntar-se amb Neruda y Alberti, fins arribar a la lúgubre i oscura etapa empresonat en la que morirà ple de puces “yo que creí que la luz era mía, precipitado en la sombra me veo”. Ell no entén perque està empresonat i escriu açò que me pareix preciós “sólo por amor odiado, solo por amor”. A pesar de tot açò no perd l’esperança i escriu “Pero hay un rayo de sol en la lucha, que siempre deja la sombra vencida”. I JO ME CAGUE VIVA. La seua forma de parlar del sexe és de les més dolces, sensuals i pasionals “el amor es choque de cuerpos, exigencia cosmica” que he llegit mai.
Quin plaer!!!
Quin plaer!!!
April 22, 2021
Después de leer "El rayo que no cesa" me quedé con una gran impresión de Miguel Hernández. Esta antología que reúne algunos poemas de todas sus obras consigue repetir esa sensación.
Trabajando todo tipo de versos, desde formas más tradicionales a otras más innovadoras, el autor nos habla de la importancia de su tierra, de amor, de política y de familia.
La evolución en sus últimos poemarios se ve drásticamente marcada por su contexto histórico y transmite muy bien los sentimientos por los que el poeta estaba pasando.
Sin duda una lectura recomendada para todos aquellos que disfruten de la buena poesía.
Trabajando todo tipo de versos, desde formas más tradicionales a otras más innovadoras, el autor nos habla de la importancia de su tierra, de amor, de política y de familia.
La evolución en sus últimos poemarios se ve drásticamente marcada por su contexto histórico y transmite muy bien los sentimientos por los que el poeta estaba pasando.
Sin duda una lectura recomendada para todos aquellos que disfruten de la buena poesía.
May 29, 2022
Uno de los mejores poetas que he leído. Los pelos de punta al pensar en algunos de los poemas que recoge el libro. El único pero es que hay varios poemas demasiado largos para mi gusto.
June 24, 2023
Reto a cualquiera a escribir algo más bello que esto:
"No perdono a la muerte enamorada
No perdono a la vida desatenta
No perdono a la tierra ni a la nada"
"No perdono a la muerte enamorada
No perdono a la vida desatenta
No perdono a la tierra ni a la nada"
October 22, 2023
W O o O o o o O lo W
October 6, 2024
Le daría mil estrellas si pudiese. Te susurra y te desgarra. Poemas que, sin duda, releeré y releeré y siempre serán eternos.
December 2, 2024
por culpa de querer terminar el libro bien no me fijé en si anclé bien la bicimad y me sablaron 3.5€
June 5, 2025
Cátedra, solo Cátedra.
December 23, 2025
Me he enamorao
May 19, 2022
Muy recomendable para iniciarse y conocer la poesía de Miguel Hernández. Ya llevaba tiempo queriendo leer algo más completo de este autor y este libro toca varios de los temas más comunes de su creación literaria. Personalmente, me quedo con su poesía social y política, que es la que más me ha llegado y trasmitido, pues demuestra que Hernández fue un hombre que no tenía miedo a posicionarse y a defender su pueblo de la tiranía a través de las palabras y la belleza de sus versos. Yo me quedo con “Aceituneros”, el más cercano a mi tierra y del cual todavía se podían extraer muchas palabras y aplicarlas a la actualidad. También destaco sus elegías, escritas con mucho sentimentalismo y honradez. Ojalá sacaran alguna edición ilustrada y cuidada para los amantes de los libros y la buena literatura. No dudaría en hacerme con ella.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews