ARGENTINA · LITERATURE · CULTUREJOSÉ HERNÁNDEZ · 1872—1879
Martín FierroDocumentary library & cultural magazine STUDY THE POEM

OPEN STUDY LIBRARY · ENGLISH STUDY RESOURCES

Martín Fierro for Students

Learn the story canto by canto without losing contact with José Hernández’s original Spanish words. Each published guide includes the plot, major voices, selected authentic verses, literary themes and questions for reflection.

READING COMPANION · ENGLISH GLOSSARY

What do gaucho words mean?

Understand payada, naides, pulpería, and fortín—and the hidden meaning of the name Picardía.

Explore the gaucho vocabulary glossary →

ILLUSTRATED STUDY RESOURCE

Meet the characters

Get to know Martín Fierro, Sergeant Cruz, Fierro’s family, Picardía, Old Vizcacha and the other major figures before or during your reading. Eleven illustrated profiles explain their roles, compare their perspectives, include original Spanish stanzas, and lead directly to the relevant English canto lessons.

Explore the illustrated character guide →

Part One — El gaucho Martín Fierro (1872)

All thirteen cantos of the 1872 first part now have individual study guides. Additional cantos will be linked only when their guides have been completed and verified against the original corpus.

Part Two — La vuelta de Martín Fierro (1879)

All thirty-three cantos of the 1879 sequel now have verified English study guides. Together with the thirteen cantos of Part One, the complete collection covers all forty-six cantos.

Read across the whole poem

Old Vizcacha versus Martín Fierro compares different approaches to life and morality using original passages from the sequel’s Cantos XV and XXXII. The complete advice to his sons is also available with English explanations.

Story summary · Main characters · Themes and analysis · Frontier history