Analysis of “Elegy” by Miguel Hernández and “Campos de Soria” by Antonio Machado
Elegy by Miguel Hernández
Introduction
Miguel Hernández Gilabert, a prominent Spanish poet and playwright of the 20th century, was born in Orihuela (Alicante) on October 30, 1910. He belonged to the renowned Generation of ’27. In 1939, Hernández attempted to flee to Portugal but was apprehended by the Civil Guard, marking the beginning of his ordeal in Spanish prisons. He was eventually released and returned to Orihuela, only to be arrested again twelve days later and transferred to the Conde de Toreno prison in Madrid. Sentenced to life imprisonment, his health deteriorated in prison, and he tragically succumbed to tuberculosis in the Alicante prison infirmary on January 28, 1942, at the young age of 31.
Analysis of the Poem
This poem is a heartfelt elegy dedicated to the memory of Hernández’s dear friend, Ramón Sijé. It is a poignant expression of grief and guilt over the inability to bid farewell to his friend. The poem’s raw emotion reveals the profound weight Miguel carried within him, ensuring that the love that united the two friends would never be forgotten. The poem can be divided into three parts: meditation, the lament of the survivors, and praise.
Meditation: This section, encompassing the first four triplets, reflects on the past shared with his friend. It highlights the rural landscape and the significance of agriculture in their lives, using words like “gardener,” “poppy,” and “fertilize.” In these stanzas, Hernández accepts Ramón’s death and acknowledges its gravity and inevitability. He refrains from judgment, focusing solely on expressing his emotions. He employs a metaphor to describe his friend’s burial as something beneficial for the land, suggesting that the pain of loss is so intense that he seeks solace in finding a positive aspect.
Lament of the Survivors: From the fifth to the eleventh stanzas, Hernández delves into his feelings about losing a loved one. He speaks in the first person, expressing the immensity of his pain: “No extension is bigger than my hurt…Ando on stubble of the dead…” He emphasizes his sympathy in verse fifteen: “and I feel your death more than my life.” Verse twenty-one poignantly refers to Sijé’s untimely death: “…early you’re rolling on the floor.”
Praise: In the ninth triplet, the author’s wrath is evident through words like “up, storm, stone, lightning, ax, loud, thirsty,” and “hungry disaster.” The third part shifts to praise, where Hernández subtly highlights some of his friend’s qualities: “bird beekeeper your soul…glad the shade of my eyebrows…” The tone changes from anger to a pleasant one, evoking beautiful memories of his companion: “flowers…angelic waxes…farmers…love, winged souls of roses…” The significance of almond is also mentioned, as Hernández recounts how he and Sijé, along with their acquaintance Hernández, used to walk among the almond trees in their land.
Conclusion
This poem is a powerful example of an elegy, effectively conveying the emotions following the death of a loved one and offering praise to the deceased. The use of vivid imagery, metaphors, and shifts in tone contributes to the poem’s emotional impact.
Campos de Soria by Antonio Machado
Introduction
Antonio Machado Ruiz (Seville, July 26, 1875 – Collioure, France, February 22, 1939) was a prominent Spanish poet and a late member of the Generation of ’98. His early work aligned with the Modernist literary movement. Following the war, he was exiled to France, where he passed away a few weeks later.
Analysis of the Poem
The text presents a subjective description of the Soria landscape, observed by Machado during one of his many visits. He portrays the landscape through his emotions, encompassing both joy and sadness. The sadness is particularly profound as it is the place where he used to walk with his deceased wife. The poem’s structure consists of three-line stanzas with heptasílabos (seven-syllable) verses, employing heroic rhyme and assonance in the pairs, with the odd verses being loose. This verse form, frequently used by Machado, is known as ‘silva asonantada.’
Initially, the poem appears to be a simple presentation of landscape features. However, when the author’s “I” emerges, the weight of emotions becomes evident. The exclamatory tone, indicative of the intense emotion with which the poet observes the landscape, dominates the text. Notably, there are only two main verbs in the passage (am and going). The verb ‘feel’ is crucial, as it highlights that the poet does not merely ‘see’ the landscape but ‘feels’ it. Therefore, it is essential to identify the subjective elements that evoke emotions in the poem.
The opening lines provide a detailed list of landscape aspects: “Hills silvery gray heights, dark red rocks….” This vocative style aims to capture the reader’s attention. The adjectives accompanying each noun add color, such as “the metallic sheen is paid is becoming even gray or sunset.” The sound intensifies in the first two verses, where “Where the Duero” alludes to the warrior’s resonances in the spring curve. This reference reappears later when he speaks of “mystical warrior” land. Historically, these lands were religious and righteous Christian kingdoms before the Reconquista. Epithet adjectives reinforce the value of nouns, highlighting their features. For instance, the adjective ‘silver’ for hills implies ancient wisdom.
In Part VIII, the poet returns to his hometown and seeks to recognize familiar places. The most striking image is that of the humble, cultivated land, where people must bow down to work. It is a land that endures under a scorching sun (cloud of crimson, gold fluid). Once again, the use of adjectives and the emotions reflected in the landscape are vital. The poem’s conclusion exemplifies Machado’s poetry and some characteristics of the era’s symbolist movement, including the use of color and the internalization of the landscape.
Conclusion
Both “Elegy” by Miguel Hernández and “Campos de Soria” by Antonio Machado are powerful examples of Spanish poetry, each reflecting the unique style and emotional depth of their respective authors. Hernández’s elegy is a poignant expression of grief and loss, while Machado’s poem captures the beauty and melancholy of the Soria landscape, intertwined with personal memories and emotions.