Symbolism in Miguel Hernandez’s Poetry: An Analysis
Images and Symbols in the Poetry of Miguel Hernandez
Throughout the work of Miguel Hernandez, the consistent use of various symbols reflects his poetic world.
Symbolism in “Expert in Lunas”
In his early work, Expert in Lunas, symbolism plays a crucial role, reflecting the author’s moods and feelings. He establishes cross-media metaphors using elements such as palms, watermelons, and treadmills. However, the moon is the most significant element, taking on different meanings throughout his work.
In Expert in Lunas, the moon signifies harmony, circularity, and perfection, reflected in several poems. The signifier of the moon, representing harmony and circularity, also appears in the form of the wheel. Symbolic colors also represent the author’s state of mind, including blue, which refers to the Mediterranean Sea and sky, representing freedom, and pale yellow, representing life. Another important symbol for Miguel Hernandez is the fig tree, a common fruit tree in the Orihuela area, symbolizing virility and masculinity due to the fruit’s resemblance to male genitalia.
Symbolism in “The Ray That Does Not Stop”
In his other early work, The Ray That Does Not Stop, the most important symbol is thunder. In ancient Greece, lightning symbolized the instrument used by Zeus to enforce his will, but it also represents the sexual union between heaven and earth. For the poet, the ray destabilizes and causes loving concern. The poet must overcome this force to meet the beloved.
Death is another recurring symbol, representing the end of carnal and spiritual pain. Death contrasts with the freedom that the author desires. It symbolizes the love the poet wishes to attain with the beloved, seeking freedom to act and express his love without repression or limitations of chastity.
The color white represents the beauty and purity of the beloved, metaphorized with almonds and soft almond skin. Finally, the bull is a crucial symbolic element, representing virility, indomitability, and the freedom desired by the poet, in contrast to the ox. This antithesis is used in Winds of the People, reflecting the submission of many under fascist command.
Symbolism in “Winds of the People” and Later Works
Following The Ray That Does Not Stop, there was a shift in subject matter, moving from feelings of love to social commitment due to the civil war. The first of these works is Winds of the People. In this case, animal symbols are used. Beasts represent the fascists, oxen represent those who allow themselves to be killed and are submissive, and lions and eagles represent the Republicans. The olive also appears as a symbol of peace and freedom.
Another work about the civil war is Stalking the Man, which shows a more pessimistic tone, as Miguel Hernandez had experienced the death of loved ones. Here, the olive appears again, as in Winds of the People, as a symbol of peace that is not achieved.
Symbolism in “Songbook and Ballads of Absences”
His last work, Songbook and Ballads of Absences, was written while he was in jail. The symbolism of this work is evident in the poem “Las Nanas de la Cebolla” (Lullaby of the Onion), where the female womb is a symbol of fertility, hope, and the future. The moon reappears, this time representing the female breast. Finally, the onion symbolizes the hunger suffered by his son and wife.