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Libro de la guerra
La guerra civil y los primeros años de la dictadura franquista atravesaron la vida y la obra de Miguel Hernández. Por su evidente reflejo en lo que escribió ―a raíz del golpe de estado planteó un viraje en su obra, hasta entonces al margen de las motivaciones políticas― y por sus consecuencias en su propia biografí la afiliación al PCE en los días iniciales de la guerra, su nombramiento como comisario político y su presencia activa en varios frentes, su viaje a la URSS y más tarde, iniciada la dictadura, su detención y condena, su encierro en varias cárceles y su muerte por tuberculosis en el penal de Alicante. Miguel Hernández pasaba el verano de 1936 en su Orihuela natal. Trabajaba en Madrid con José María de Cossío, colaborando en los proyectos editoriales del escritor, y había logrado introducirse en los círculos culturales de la é acababa de publicar su libro de poemas El rayo que no cesa , contaba con la amistad de Vicente Aleixandre y la admiración de Juan Ramón Jiménez. La guerra transformó su mantuvo el diálogo con los clásicos del Siglo de Oro ―en sus poemas y obras de teatro no “rebaja” la exigencia lingüística― pero se abrió a otros asuntos, priorizó lo que considera urgente, y se inició en la escritura de artículos de opinión y crónicas periodísticas. Libro de la guerra es una antología que, a partir de la propia obra de Miguel Hernández (poesía, cuentos, teatro) y otros textos personales relacionados de forma directa o implícita con la guerra civil, como cartas, documentos y fotografías, recorre la profunda transformación ideológica y literaria que sufrió el poeta conforme el conflicto iba ganando terreno en España. La meticulosa edición y el prólogo de la misma ha corrido a cargo de la escritora, poeta y editora Elena Medel.
376 pages, Paperback
Published November 2, 2023
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About the author
Miguel Hernández
258 books182 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 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 26, 2024
Las crónicas desde la trinchera, el amor con el que escribía a su mujer y a su hijo, las cartas pidiendo ayuda a sus amigos, la manera en la que va cambiando su forma de escribir a medida que pasaba el tiempo. A medida que se le acababa el tiempo.
Duele leerlo, te parte en dos, pero es imprescindible.
Duele leerlo, te parte en dos, pero es imprescindible.
October 1, 2024
As a diary, biography and spiritual study of a sensitive and brave young man in a time when it was easy to not be sensitive, and definitely hard to be brave, this was excellent.
As a rough sketch of the collective consciousness (of one side obviously) during a time of such incredible social and national divide it is interesting (although admittedly not shockingly enlightening).
Poetry was beautiful. Vivid, intense yet simple and even tender at times - potentially adding to the eeriness or tragedy of the intensity.
Would particularly recommend ‘canción ultima’ - made into an amazing song by Serrat.
my favourite aspect was for sure the letter between him and his wife - especially when he was sent to prison. Unsurprisingly, it really humanises someone who without this added ‘he’s a real human’ layer, would be just a poet and fighter. In doing so, definitely lays emotional eggs in his work which you can crack open as you go.
As a rough sketch of the collective consciousness (of one side obviously) during a time of such incredible social and national divide it is interesting (although admittedly not shockingly enlightening).
Poetry was beautiful. Vivid, intense yet simple and even tender at times - potentially adding to the eeriness or tragedy of the intensity.
Would particularly recommend ‘canción ultima’ - made into an amazing song by Serrat.
my favourite aspect was for sure the letter between him and his wife - especially when he was sent to prison. Unsurprisingly, it really humanises someone who without this added ‘he’s a real human’ layer, would be just a poet and fighter. In doing so, definitely lays emotional eggs in his work which you can crack open as you go.
April 21, 2024
Cuánta tristeza en tan pocas páginas...
June 10, 2025
"Es la casa un palomar
y la cama, un jazminero.
Las puertas de par en par
y, en el fondo, el mundo entero".
Siempre llena el corazón conversar con Miguel.
y la cama, un jazminero.
Las puertas de par en par
y, en el fondo, el mundo entero".
Siempre llena el corazón conversar con Miguel.
July 21, 2025
Cómo es posible escribir versos tan bonitos de algo tan horrible como la guerra.
Las cartas a su mujer y los cuentos a su hijo son puro amor.
Precioso
Las cartas a su mujer y los cuentos a su hijo son puro amor.
Precioso
October 7, 2025
Lo que fue el poeta del pueblo recopilado en cartas, poemas, obras de teatro, entre otras cosas...
Sin haber leído nada de miguel Hernández más allà de aquél poema que analizamos en primero de bachillerato y de escuchar alguna vez aquella canción de Serrat, me encuentro con un poeta que se vuelve más y más pesimista a medida que la guerra civil va dejando huella.
Qué decir de aquellas cartas a Josefina Manresa, que pese a los malos tiempos nunca sobraban besos que mandar, y qué decir del peso que tenia la palabra de Miguel cuando se trataba de hablar de trabajadores, de lucha, y de amor.
Gran recopilación, mucha dureza pero también mucha ternura.
Sin haber leído nada de miguel Hernández más allà de aquél poema que analizamos en primero de bachillerato y de escuchar alguna vez aquella canción de Serrat, me encuentro con un poeta que se vuelve más y más pesimista a medida que la guerra civil va dejando huella.
Qué decir de aquellas cartas a Josefina Manresa, que pese a los malos tiempos nunca sobraban besos que mandar, y qué decir del peso que tenia la palabra de Miguel cuando se trataba de hablar de trabajadores, de lucha, y de amor.
Gran recopilación, mucha dureza pero también mucha ternura.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews