He resembled folk characters - a poor shepherd who became a great poet. The fascist regime did not allow the tale to become true.
Such is the tragic fate of the best sons of any nation - they are the first to react to the slightest injustice and immediately take up the salvation of the world. Only human strength for this is not enough.
Childhood
Miguel was born in October 1910 and fate did not prepare any gifts for him. His father Miguel Hernandez Sanchez was a shepherd, lived poorly. The family lived in the city of Orihuela in Spain, where, right behind the outskirts, the holdings of farmers began, providing jobs for the local poor. The head of the family could feed himself, his wife and three children, so he was happy. Over time, he even managed to acquire his own herd.
Spanish city of Orihuela where Miguel Hernandez was born
From an early age, the boy got used to work. He had to inherit the profession of a parent. School education for the drover of sheep was limited to several classes, classes were allowed only in their free time. Once in a meadow, a local priest spoke to a teenager. The Holy Father was impressed by how this little ragged man subtly perceives the words of the Holy Scriptures, compares them with the songs. The old man could not pass such a miracle; he invited a new acquaintance to visit him and offered to choose books from his library that he would like to read. Later it was he who prompted Miguel to enroll in the library, and in 1923 sent him to a school at the Jesuit monastery.
Youth
Reading the work did not harm, because no one paid attention to the shepherd's hobby. The same got acquainted with classical Spanish literature and dreamed of making his contribution to the elegant literature of his native land. The idol of the young man was the Baroque poet Luis de Gongola y Argote. Miguel’s soul was touched by both the poetry of this man and his tragic fate - having arrived at the invitation of the king in Madrid and taking the place of a court poet, this eccentric soon became disillusioned with his service, left everything, returned to his native place, where he died in poverty.
In 1929, the verses of an unknown author were published in the weekly journal of Orihuela. The townspeople for a long time could not believe that they were a nineteen-year-old shepherd. The older Hernandez were also impressed. They could not keep the talented son to themselves, they understood that his career would be more successful than theirs, and his life was much more interesting.
First try
5 years after the debut, the young writer went to conquer the capital. Here he found a warm welcome from his colleagues. Art of the beginning of the twentieth century. was a field for experimentation, the search for new forms, and the appearance among the creators of the nugget from the province was approved by those who were already famous.
Miguel Hernandez reads poems in the street
The publishers met the guy in a very different way. His work interested them, but the beginner writer was paid extremely little. Hernandez was not used to begging and living at someone else’s expense, because the year of tribulation ended with his return to his father’s house. Here he could devote his free hours to perfecting his style.
Madrid
In 1933, the stubborn shepherd was again in Madrid. One of the publishers undertook to publish a collection of his works. The book was so successful that its author was invited to speak at the University of Cartagena. Soon we managed and got a job - our hero was engaged in pedagogy, edited the encyclopedia.
His comrades, Vincente Aleiksandra, Garza Lorca and Pablo Neruda, were glad about the return of Hernandez. In addition to creativity, they were united by a desire to combat social injustice. Miguel was well acquainted with the hardships of the life of the poor, therefore, having got acquainted with the ideas of the Communists, he approved them, but was in no hurry to join the party. Along with his friends and associates, the young poet already during the war visited Moscow - the capital of the first socialist state.
Monument to Miguel Hernandez in St. Petersburg, ul. University Embankment 9
Love
In 1937, Miguel Hernandez came to Orihuela to visit his parents. There was a fair in the town, and the guy went there to see people and to show himself. Local youth was glad to see a celebrity. Among the enthusiastic fans was the fragile girl of Josephine Manresa. She had long been in love with the poet, but was afraid that her modest biography would not impress him. Miguel noticed the beauty.
Miguel Hernandez with his wife
In the same year, marriage was concluded. For her husband, Josephine will become a source of inspiration. It is she who will be able to preserve his manuscripts during the war years. The personal life of this woman will be tragic. A year after the wedding, she will give birth to a child who will soon die, the second attempt to become a mother will also end sadly. Manresa will have to give birth immediately after the arrest of her husband, the child will not survive.
