Life, Poetry, and Legacy of Miguel Hernández
1. Life of Miguel Hernández: A Vital Path
Early Life and Influences
Miguel Hernández was born on October 30, 1910, in Orihuela, Alicante, Spain. He came from a humble family and his formal education ended early, forcing him to work as a shepherd and milk delivery boy. However, he was a voracious reader of Spanish classics, which deeply influenced his poetic development. He was largely self-taught and began publishing his poems in a local newspaper, El Pueblo, in 1929.
Literary Beginnings and Personal
Read MoreSpanish Realism: A Historical and Cultural Overview
1. Introduction: The Realism – Historical and Cultural Context
1.1. Historical Context
In 1868, the Glorious Revolution led to the downfall of the Bourbons in Spain. A six-year progressive government began, which, although it enshrined the democratic rights of the Spanish, also prompted labor and tax reforms that generated considerable dissatisfaction. In 1874, after a coup, the Bourbon monarchy was restored. This period, known as the Restoration, saw oligarchic rule based on the turn of the conservative
Read MorePost-1936 Spanish Narrative: Trends and Context
ITEM 10: THE POST-1936 SPANISH NARRATIVE
1. CONTEXT
The Spanish Civil War ended and the Franco dictatorship began. This period can be divided into three stages:
- Political and economic isolation.
- Gradual opening and end of political isolation.
- Modernization and economic development through tourism and foreign investment.
The country’s social situation mirrored the evolution of the Franco regime. It began with an economic crisis, followed by slow economic prosperity, which caused large migrations. Additionally,
Read MoreThe Mester de Clerecía in 13th & 14th Century Spanish Literature
The Mester de Clerecía in the 13th Century
Overview
The concept of the Mester de Clerecía better fits the works of this genre from the 13th to the 14th centuries, which differ significantly from earlier models in both form and ideology.
Key Works of the 13th Century
- Libro de Alexandre: An anonymous narrative, potentially attributed to Gonzalo de Berceo, about the life of Alexander the Great. This extensive work blends scholarly elements with literary references and aims to demonstrate God’s control
Blas de Otero: Life and Poetic Evolution
Childhood in Bilbao and Madrid (1916-1933)
Blas de Otero was born on March 15, 1916, in Bilbao. At the age of seven, he enrolled at the Colegio de María de Maeztu, a preparatory high school. His home was a refuge, a peaceful and mythologized microcosm inhabited by himself, his parents, his brother, and his governess, Mademoiselle Isabel. In contrast, school represented a repressive environment for the young Otero.
Three years later, the family faced financial ruin and relocated to Madrid. In the
Read More20th-Century Spanish Literature: Poetry and Theater
The Poetry of War
The Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) plunged Spain into a period of profound economic and cultural crisis. The problems the country faced created a literary vacuum that contributed to several factors:
- The deaths of representative poets of previous generations.
- Censorship and repression of the Franco regime.
- Exile of poets such as Juan Ramón Jiménez and a large part of the Generation of ’27.
One of the poets who exerted greater influence in the post-war lyric was Miguel Hernández. Although
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