José Hierro
José Hierro was a prominent Spanish poet born on April 3, 1922, in Madrid, Spain, who later became closely associated with the region of Santander. His formative years were marked by the upheaval of the Spanish Civil War, which led to his imprisonment for five years. Despite a background in science and technology, Hierro pursued the arts, winning his first literary prize in 1934. He published his debut poetry collections, "Tierra sin nosotros" and "Alegría," in 1947, which received critical acclaim and explored themes of loss and the scars of war.
Hierro's literary career flourished in the following decades, earning him numerous prestigious awards, including the Premio Nacional de las Letras Españolas and the Cervantes Prize. He was also a university lecturer, sharing his insights at institutions in Spain and the United States. His later work, particularly "Cuaderno de Nueva York," is considered one of his masterpieces. José Hierro passed away on December 20, 2002, leaving behind a significant legacy as one of the most important Spanish poets of the twentieth century, celebrated for his profound contributions to literature.
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José Hierro
Poet
- Born: April 3, 1922
- Birthplace: Madrid, Spain
- Died: December 20, 2002
- Place of death: Madrid, Spain
Biography
José Hierro was born on April 3, 1922, to Joaquín and Esperanza Hierro in Madrid, Spain. His mother was from Santander, and the family soon moved there. Hierro spent his childhood in Santander and became identified with the region as a poet. Hierro had a scientific and technical education, but chose the arts instead. In 1934, he won his first literary prize.
In 1936, the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War irrevocably changed Hierro’s life. The Nationalists imprisoned his father, and the family financial situation turned precarious. The victorious Nationalists imprisoned Hierro himself in 1939. Sentenced for twelve years, he was released in 1944. Tragically, four days after his release, his beloved father died. Another significant event of this time was his discovery of Geraldo Diego’s poetry.
Hierro moved to Valencia in 1944, where he lived until 1948. These years were very poetically productive for Hierro; he contributed to the journals Corcel and Proel. He became a member of the “Proel group” that included his close friend, the poet José Luis Hildago. Proel published Hierro’s first two books, Tierra sin nosotros (land without us) and Alegría (joy) in 1947. The latter book won the Adonaís Prize. The poems in these collections were considered to be largely autobiographical, and many of the poems focused on loss, regret, and the frustration of what the war cost Hierro.
In 1948, Hierro moved to Santander and married in 1949. The economic pressures of a growing family forced a move to Madrid in 1952, where Hierro eventually found work with Editora Nacional, a publishing company. About the same time, Hierro’s work was included in an anthology of the most promising young Spanish poets, pushing Hierro to national prominence. In the 1960’s, he continued to publish regularly well-received volumes of poetry. In the 1970’s and 1980’s, Hierro lectured at the University of Madrid as well as at several U.S. universities. Critics generally consider his 1998 Cuaderno de Nueva York (New York notebook) to be his greatest work. Hierro died on December 20, 2002, in Madrid.
The many awards Hierro received speak to his importance to Spanish literature. In addition to the Adonaís Prize he received in 1948, Hierro’s awards include the Premio Nacional de las Letras Españolas (the national prize of Spanish letters; 1953 and 1990); the Premio Nacional de la Crítica (the national critics prize; 1957, 1964 and 1999); the Premio Príncipe de Asturias de Literatura (the Asturias first prize of literature; 1981); and the Premio Reina Sofía de Poesía Española e Hispanoamericana (the Queen Sofia Spanish and Spanish American poetry prize; 1995). The Royal Academy of the Spanish Language named him a member in 1991. He was also awarded an honorary doctorate from the International Menéndez and Pelayo University of Santander in 1995. Finally, in recognition of his lifetime achievement as a writer, Hierro received the Cervantes Prize in 1998.
Hierro’s achievements in poetry are nearly unparalleled among the post-Civil War generation of poets. Critics agree that he is one of the most important Spanish writers of the twentieth century.