Miguel Hernández, a central figure in the Generation of ‘27, defined his literary career through an austere upbringing in Orihuela and a short, tumultuous life consumed by the Spanish Civil War. As a self-taught writer who transitioned from rural labour to the front lines of conflict, his verses bridged the gap between classical structures and the vanguard movements of his era.
Early Development and Influences
Born in 1910, Hernández spent his formative years as a goatherd and farmhand. Despite limited formal schooling, he cultivated his intellect through reading and the guidance of his friend Ramón Sijé. His early poetic voice was shaped by Golden Age masters such as Francisco de Quevedo and Luis de Góngora, while simultaneously integrating the sensibilities of European surrealism. His first collection, Perito en lunas, established his presence in Spanish literature before he took on roles at La Barraca.
Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.
Take the IQ test →Civil War and Political Commitment
Hernández joined the Communist Party of Spain and actively supported the Republican cause. He served in the Fifth Regiment and the 11th Division during the Battle of Teruel, viewing his poetry as a tool for public address. Between 1937 and 1939, he managed theatre productions. His wartime experiences, coupled with his marriage to Josefina Manresa Marhuenda in 1937, deeply informed collections like Viento del pueblo, which focused on the struggle for workers' rights.
Imprisonment and Final Works
Following the Republican surrender, Hernández faced multiple arrests. A 1939 trial resulted in a death sentence for his communist affiliations and anti-fascist writing, which was eventually commuted to a 30-year prison term. He moved through various facilities, including Palencia, Ocaña, and Alicante prisons, suffering from pneumonia, bronchitis, and eventually typhus and tuberculosis. Before his death in 1942, he composed Cancionero y romancero de ausencias, often writing on scraps of paper or within letters to his family.
Legacy and Official Recognition
Posthumously, his reputation grew as his prison poetry, including the well-known Nanas de la cebolla, became central to 20th-century Spanish literature. In the 1970s, academic works solidified his critical standing. While he received the Concurso Nacional de Literatura in 1938, more recent acknowledgments include the High Honour of the Generalitat Valenciana granted in 2022. Efforts to annul his 1939 conviction continue to highlight the political weight of his life and death.
Fast facts
- Born: 1910, Orihuela, Spain
- Died: 1942, Alicante, Spain
- Movement: Generation of ‘27
- Notable Works: El rayo que no cesa, Viento del pueblo, El hombre acecha
- Spouse: Josefina Manresa Marhuenda
- Awards: Concurso Nacional de Literatura (1938), High Honour of the Generalitat Valenciana (2022)
- Burial Site: Cemetery of Alicante
Questions readers ask
What inspired the poem Nanas de la cebolla?
It was written in response to a letter from his wife, Josefina, detailing her struggle to survive on bread and onions while he was imprisoned.
Why was Miguel Hernández imprisoned?
He was arrested and tried for his active participation in the Spanish Civil War on the Republican side, his membership in the Communist Party, and for writing poems deemed harmful to the Francoist cause.
Achievements
- Notable work: Perito en lunas
- Notable work: El rayo que no cesa
- Notable work: Viento del pueblo
- Notable work: El hombre acecha
- Affiliated with La Barraca
- Worked as poet, playwright and writer
.jpg)