Miguel Hernández’s Poetic Symbols: From Orihuela to War
Miguel Hernández: Symbolism and Imagery in Poetry
Miguel Hernández’s (MH) poetry is rich in symbolism and vivid imagery. His lyrical style, often described as “Hernandiana,” is characterized by its intensity and recurring motifs. The evolution of the poet’s life and expression allows us to distinguish a variety of symbols corresponding to different stages and experiences.
Early Works and Orihuela Imagery (1924–1931)
MH’s poems during his formative years (1924–1931) feature images drawn directly from his environment in Orihuela. Key natural elements include:
- The lemon
- The well
- The fig
- The pitas (agave plants)
- The yard
These symbols are clearly visible in poems like “Insomnia” and especially “I Remember…” Furthermore, the enduring image of the shepherd poet, which always accompanies MH, is beautifully reflected in the composition from this initial stage: “Squatting milking a goat and a dream.”
Perito en lunas (1933): Sacrifice and Modernity
Analyzing the symbolism of his subsequent works, we first encounter Perito en lunas (1933). In this collection:
- The bull signifies sacrifice and death.
- The palm, a Mediterranean element, is compared to a jet or fountain.
This first book also contains images and symbols highly characteristic of MH’s time, such as when he refers to weather vanes: “dancing in corners Christian / grafted: Baker more widows,” referencing the dancer Josephine Baker, who was Black and a widow. Echoing Lorca’s Poeta en Nueva York (1929–1930), MH includes lines like “(Black hanged for rape),” featuring symbols referring to masculinity:
- “the most confusing leg”
- “Castaway was fig fig Hair”
- “challenging paddling”
El rayo que no cesa (1936): Love, Desire, and Death
In El rayo que no cesa (1936), the central theme is love, around which all symbols revolve. The lightning (or *ray*), representing fire and burning, symbolizes intense desire, linking it to Spanish literary tradition (e.g., Llama de amor viva by San Juan de la Cruz).
Key Symbols of Desire and Frustration
Specific symbols related to the body and desire include:
- Blood: Sexual desire.
- Shirt: The male figure.
- Lemon: The female breast, as seen in the sonnet “I threw a lemon, and bitter.”
The frustration caused by the elusiveness of the beloved (Josefina Manresa) leads to the theme of death, a major issue in this collection. The beloved’s ambivalent character is represented through metaphors of softness (e.g., nard, tuber, myrrh) or through images recalling roughness (e.g., thistle or bush).
All these elements culminate in “As the bull was born for the mourning,” where a strong symbolic parallel is drawn between the poet and the bull, emphasizing their tragic fate, pain, death, manhood, boundless heart, ferocity, and suffering.
Viento del pueblo (1937): War, Rebellion, and Social Conflict
In Viento del pueblo (1937), MH clearly exemplifies war poetry—poetry as a weapon of struggle. Here, the wind is the voice of the people, embodied in the poet. The populace is divided symbolically:
- The cowardly and resigned populace, who refuse to fight, is identified with the ox.
- The lion represents rebellion and nonconformity.
Furthermore, the contrast between rich and poor is depicted in the poem “Hands,” symbolizing the “Two Spains” for MH. Finally, the poet shifts focus from desire for his beloved to her motherhood; here, the central symbol is the belly.