José Hernández
José Hernández was an influential Argentine poet, soldier, and political figure born on November 10, 1834, in Buenos Aires Province. He is best known for his epic poem, "The Gaucho Martin Fierro," which has become a cornerstone of Argentine literature and culture. Despite limited formal education due to illness, Hernández captured the experiences and struggles of the gauchos, or rural cattle herders, reflecting their marginalized status and the impact of political decisions on their lives. The poem's initial part, released in a time of political turmoil, resonated widely, leading to significant readership among gauchos and the distribution of the work in local pulperías.
Hernández was also a vocal opponent of the ruling oligarchy and actively engaged in political discourse, using his writings to advocate for fair treatment of the gaucho community. His marriage to Carolina González del Solar in 1863 coincided with his founding of the newspaper Río de la Plata, where he expressed his views on social justice and rural life. While he authored a farming handbook, his legacy primarily rests on "Martin Fierro," which has been celebrated as a vital expression of Argentine identity and folk culture. Hernández passed away on October 21, 1886, leaving behind a profound impact on the literary and cultural landscape of Argentina.
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José Hernández
Argentine poet
- Born: November 10, 1834
- Died: October 21, 1886
Biography
José Hernández (ehr-NAHN-days), Argentine poet, soldier, political office holder, and champion of minorities, was born at the Estancia Pueyrredón, province of Buenos Aires, on November 10, 1834; he died in Belgrano on October 21, 1886. He lacked the education of other Argentine writers such as Bartolomé Hidalgo, Estanislao del Campo, and Hilario Ascasubi, who are important figures in Gauchesque literature, because illness halted his formal education. Yet he was the poet read by the gauchos about whom he wrote. The unprecedented success of his narrative poem was such that in less than two years there were eight printings of it. However, sixty thousand copies of the first part of his epic poem, The Gaucho Martin Fierro, were sold before he could persuade himself to go on with its sequel. Country pulperías stocked copies, along with other essentials such as tobacco and food, for the cattle herders to purchase and read around their campfires. Hernández was an active participant in the delicate political situation of Argentina prior to the period of national organization and, later, he was an active opponent of the oligarchical interests of the ruling class. He was so closely identified with his work that as the robust, bearded man strode along Buenos Aires streets, people addressed him as “Don Martín.”
The first part of The Gaucho Martin Fierro introduces the image of an individual whose family life is destroyed by the political decisions of the authorities. The poem does not limit itself to presenting a conflict between individuals and society; it also makes room for the display of the perspective of the marginalized, along with descriptions of rural customs and beliefs. The second part, in which the author pleads for fair treatment for the gaucho by the government, continues the narrative line and incorporates a character, old Vizcacha, who supposedly espouses the essence of the gaucho philosophy.
The poet married Carolina González del Solar in 1863. In one of the many places where they settled, he founded the newspaper Río de la Plata and ran it for a year before his enemy, President Domingo Faustino Sarmiento, closed it. In his newspaper articles, Hernández stated his opposition to the official policy of frontiers and his strong defense of the gauchos. He also wrote a handbook on farming and animal husbandry in 1881, but nothing else from his pen will have the permanence of his rhymed yarn of the gaucho, told in the literary language that Hernández helped to establish as a naturalized vehicle for expressing folk culture. Since it was first published, the poem and the main character have become key ideological aspects of Argentine intellectual history.
Bibliography
Benson, Nettie Lee, ed. Catalogue of “Martín Fierro” Materials in the University of Texas Library. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1972. In commemoration of the one hundredth anniversary of the publication of The Gaucho Martin Fierro.
Borges, Jorge Luis. The Spanish Language in South America: A Literary Problem. London: Hispanic & Luso-Brazilian Councils, 1964. Includes a lecture on The Gaucho Martin Fierro.
Foster, David William. Argentine Literature: A Research Guide. 2d rev. and expanded ed. New York: Garland, 1982. A long chapter is dedicated to Hernández.
Scroggins, Daniel. A Concordance of José Hernández’ “Martín Fierro.” Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 1971. A useful research tool.