Gabriel Miró
Encyclopedia
Gabriel Miró Ferrer.
Most critics believe that Gabriel Miró's literary maturity begins with Las cerezas del cementerio (Cemetery cherries) (1910), whose plot revolves around the tragic love of the super-sensitive young man Félix Valdivia for an older woman (Beatriz) and presents—with an atmosphere of voluptuousness and lyrical intimism--the themes of eroticism
, illness
, and death
.
In 1915 he published El abuelo del rey (The King's grandfather), a novel that tells the story of three generations of a tiny Levant
ine town, for the sake of presenting, and not without a little irony, the struggle between tradition and progress, the pressures of one’s environment, and above all, a meditation about time.
One year later, Figuras de la Pasión del Señor (Characters from Our Lord Passion) (1916-17) was published, formed by a series of scenes about the last days of Jesus
. Also in 1917, Miró began his autobiographical-style works with Libro de Sigüenza (Sigüenza's book), in which Sigüenza is not only the heteronym
or alter-ego of the author, but the author's own lyrical self, which gives unity to the scenes which comprise the book. El humo dormido (The sleeping smoke) (1919), about time, and Años y leguas (Years and leagues) (1928), which again uses the character of Sigüenza as a protagonist
, are of a similar nature.
In 1921, he finished two more books: El ángel, el molino, el caracol del faro (The angel, the mill, the lighthouse snail), a book of scenes, and the novel Nuestro padre San Daniel (Our father Saint Daniel), which is part of a series with El obispo leproso (The leprous bishop)(1926). Both play out in the Levantine city of Oleza, a reflection of Orihuela
, in the last third of the 19th century. The city, submerged in lethargy, is seen as a microcosm of mysticism
and sensuality, in which the characters debate between their natural inclinations and social repression, and intolerance and the religious resistance to progress to which they are submitted.
Ricardo Gullón has described the Miró's stories as lyrical novels. They pay more attention to the expression of feelings and sensations than the simple act of listing events. The hallmarks of Miró's work are:
Impermanence is the essential theme of the author, who incorporates the past into a continuing present, through sensations, evocation, and memory.
Like Azorín before him, the senses are a form of creation and knowledge in Miró's work, hence
Most critics believe that Gabriel Miró's literary maturity begins with Las cerezas del cementerio (Cemetery cherries) (1910), whose plot revolves around the tragic love of the super-sensitive young man Félix Valdivia for an older woman (Beatriz) and presents—with an atmosphere of voluptuousness and lyrical intimism--the themes of eroticism
Eroticism
Eroticism is generally understood to refer to a state of sexual arousal or anticipation of such – an insistent sexual impulse, desire, or pattern of thoughts, as well as a philosophical contemplation concerning the aesthetics of sexual desire, sensuality and romantic love...
, illness
Illness
Illness is a state of poor health. Illness is sometimes considered another word for disease. Others maintain that fine distinctions exist...
, and death
Death
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
.
In 1915 he published El abuelo del rey (The King's grandfather), a novel that tells the story of three generations of a tiny Levant
Levant
The Levant or ) is the geographic region and culture zone of the "eastern Mediterranean littoral between Anatolia and Egypt" . The Levant includes most of modern Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, the Palestinian territories, and sometimes parts of Turkey and Iraq, and corresponds roughly to the...
ine town, for the sake of presenting, and not without a little irony, the struggle between tradition and progress, the pressures of one’s environment, and above all, a meditation about time.
One year later, Figuras de la Pasión del Señor (Characters from Our Lord Passion) (1916-17) was published, formed by a series of scenes about the last days of Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
. Also in 1917, Miró began his autobiographical-style works with Libro de Sigüenza (Sigüenza's book), in which Sigüenza is not only the heteronym
Heteronym (literature)
The literary concept of heteronym, invented by Portuguese writer and poet Fernando Pessoa, refers to one or more imaginary character created by a writer to write in different styles...
or alter-ego of the author, but the author's own lyrical self, which gives unity to the scenes which comprise the book. El humo dormido (The sleeping smoke) (1919), about time, and Años y leguas (Years and leagues) (1928), which again uses the character of Sigüenza as a protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
, are of a similar nature.
In 1921, he finished two more books: El ángel, el molino, el caracol del faro (The angel, the mill, the lighthouse snail), a book of scenes, and the novel Nuestro padre San Daniel (Our father Saint Daniel), which is part of a series with El obispo leproso (The leprous bishop)(1926). Both play out in the Levantine city of Oleza, a reflection of Orihuela
Orihuela
Orihuela is a city and municipality located at the feet of the Sierra de Orihuela mountains in the province of Alicante, Spain. The city of Orihuela had a population of 32,472 inhabitants in the beginning of 2006...
, in the last third of the 19th century. The city, submerged in lethargy, is seen as a microcosm of mysticism
Mysticism
Mysticism is the knowledge of, and especially the personal experience of, states of consciousness, i.e. levels of being, beyond normal human perception, including experience and even communion with a supreme being.-Classical origins:...
and sensuality, in which the characters debate between their natural inclinations and social repression, and intolerance and the religious resistance to progress to which they are submitted.
Ricardo Gullón has described the Miró's stories as lyrical novels. They pay more attention to the expression of feelings and sensations than the simple act of listing events. The hallmarks of Miró's work are:
- fragmentarism (a literary technique using the fragmentary nature of thought)
- The use of the ellipsisEllipsisEllipsis is a series of marks that usually indicate an intentional omission of a word, sentence or whole section from the original text being quoted. An ellipsis can also be used to indicate an unfinished thought or, at the end of a sentence, a trailing off into silence...
and - The structuring of the story in disparate scenes, joined by reflection and memory
Impermanence is the essential theme of the author, who incorporates the past into a continuing present, through sensations, evocation, and memory.
Like Azorín before him, the senses are a form of creation and knowledge in Miró's work, hence
- the vivid style of his work,
- the use of synthesis and sensory images
- surprising adjectives and
- a lavish vocabulary