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I Explain a Few Things: Selected Poems
"Laughter is the language of the soul," Pablo Neruda said. Among the most lasting voices of the most tumultuous (in his own words, "the saddest") century, a witness and a chronicler of its most decisive events, he is the author of more than thirty-five books of poetry and one of Latin America's most revered writers, the emblem of the engaged poet, an artist whose heart, always with the people, is literally consumed by passion. His work, oscillating from epic meditations on politics and history to intimate reflections on animals, food, and everyday objects, is filled with humor and affection.
This bilingual selection of more than fifty of Neruda's best poems, edited and with an introduction by the distinguished Latin American scholar Ilan Stavans and brilliantly translated by an array of well-known poets, also includes some poems previously unavailable in English. I Explain a Few Things distills the poet's brilliance to its most essential and illuminates Neruda's commitment to using the pen as a calibrator for his age.
This bilingual selection of more than fifty of Neruda's best poems, edited and with an introduction by the distinguished Latin American scholar Ilan Stavans and brilliantly translated by an array of well-known poets, also includes some poems previously unavailable in English. I Explain a Few Things distills the poet's brilliance to its most essential and illuminates Neruda's commitment to using the pen as a calibrator for his age.
358 pages, Paperback
First published October 2, 2007
54 people are currently reading
393 people want to read
About the author
Pablo Neruda
1,093 books9,671 followersPablo Neruda, born Ricardo Eliécer Neftalí Reyes Basoalto in 1904 in Parral, Chile, was a poet, diplomat, and politician, widely considered one of the most influential literary figures of the 20th century. From an early age, he showed a deep passion for poetry, publishing his first works as a teenager. He adopted the pen name Pablo Neruda to avoid disapproval from his father, who discouraged his literary ambitions. His breakthrough came with Veinte poemas de amor y una canción desesperada (Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair, 1924), a collection of deeply emotional and sensual poetry that gained international recognition and remains one of his most celebrated works.
Neruda’s career took him beyond literature into diplomacy, a path that allowed him to travel extensively and engage with political movements around the world. Beginning in 1927, he served in various consular posts in Asia and later in Spain, where he witnessed the Spanish Civil War and became an outspoken advocate for the Republican cause. His experiences led him to embrace communism, a commitment that would shape much of his later poetry and political activism. His collection España en el corazón (Spain in Our Hearts, 1937) reflected his deep sorrow over the war and marked a shift toward politically engaged writing.
Returning to Chile, he was elected to the Senate in 1945 as a member of the Communist Party. However, his vocal opposition to the repressive policies of President Gabriel Gonzalez Videla led to his exile. During this period, he traveled through various countries, including Argentina, Mexico, and the Soviet Union, further cementing his status as a global literary and political figure. It was during these years that he wrote Canto General (1950), an epic work chronicling Latin American history and the struggles of its people.
Neruda’s return to Chile in 1952 marked a new phase in his life, balancing political activity with a prolific literary output. He remained a staunch supporter of socialist ideals and later developed a close relationship with Salvador Allende, who appointed him as Chile’s ambassador to France in 1970. The following year, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, recognized for the scope and impact of his poetry. His later years were marked by illness, and he died in 1973, just days after the military coup that overthrew Allende. His legacy endures, not only in his vast body of work but also in his influence on literature, political thought, and the cultural identity of Latin America.
Neruda’s career took him beyond literature into diplomacy, a path that allowed him to travel extensively and engage with political movements around the world. Beginning in 1927, he served in various consular posts in Asia and later in Spain, where he witnessed the Spanish Civil War and became an outspoken advocate for the Republican cause. His experiences led him to embrace communism, a commitment that would shape much of his later poetry and political activism. His collection España en el corazón (Spain in Our Hearts, 1937) reflected his deep sorrow over the war and marked a shift toward politically engaged writing.
Returning to Chile, he was elected to the Senate in 1945 as a member of the Communist Party. However, his vocal opposition to the repressive policies of President Gabriel Gonzalez Videla led to his exile. During this period, he traveled through various countries, including Argentina, Mexico, and the Soviet Union, further cementing his status as a global literary and political figure. It was during these years that he wrote Canto General (1950), an epic work chronicling Latin American history and the struggles of its people.
Neruda’s return to Chile in 1952 marked a new phase in his life, balancing political activity with a prolific literary output. He remained a staunch supporter of socialist ideals and later developed a close relationship with Salvador Allende, who appointed him as Chile’s ambassador to France in 1970. The following year, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, recognized for the scope and impact of his poetry. His later years were marked by illness, and he died in 1973, just days after the military coup that overthrew Allende. His legacy endures, not only in his vast body of work but also in his influence on literature, political thought, and the cultural identity of Latin America.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
August 1, 2015
Neruda is, of course, an undisputed genius. This book presents an array of his work from throughout his life. The poems encompass different themes and styles. Neruda is an important poet because he wrestles not merely with the metaphysical; he also tackles the issues of his time and by doing so he gives them a sense of timelessness. He is even prophetic in his portrayal of the harmful effects of global corporations, which act as a modern extension of imperialism. (As in his poem "The United Fruit Company")He also writes many entrancing odes, often to things seemingly mundane. (Ode to an Artichoke) And even these are not his best poems in this volume, nor do they give even a fractional sense of the breadth of his themes.
Also, the book uses the work of several different translators, rather than one translator, however Neruda's voice is omnipresent and his style/voice are inescapable. The translators have different strengths and weaknesses, but this in my opinion, makes this book special. The chronological ordering of the book allows you to clearly see the poet's development, and the Spanish original of each poem is presented alongside the English translation.
Also, the book uses the work of several different translators, rather than one translator, however Neruda's voice is omnipresent and his style/voice are inescapable. The translators have different strengths and weaknesses, but this in my opinion, makes this book special. The chronological ordering of the book allows you to clearly see the poet's development, and the Spanish original of each poem is presented alongside the English translation.
January 24, 2016
And I, tiny being,
drunk with the great starry
void,
likeness, image of
mystery,
felt myself a pure part
of the abyss.
*
My heart broke loose with the wind.
*
Perhaps I don’t know, perhaps I didn’t know,
perhaps I never knew.
*
and the clock cannot turn back
to bring us together in tenderness.
*
and those hands of mine
could only grasp intangibles,
untouchable things
which could only be compared
when they no longer existed.
*
thinking maybe
but knowing never again
*
As all things are filled with my soul
you emerge from the things, filled with my soul.
drunk with the great starry
void,
likeness, image of
mystery,
felt myself a pure part
of the abyss.
*
My heart broke loose with the wind.
*
Perhaps I don’t know, perhaps I didn’t know,
perhaps I never knew.
*
and the clock cannot turn back
to bring us together in tenderness.
*
and those hands of mine
could only grasp intangibles,
untouchable things
which could only be compared
when they no longer existed.
*
thinking maybe
but knowing never again
*
As all things are filled with my soul
you emerge from the things, filled with my soul.
June 5, 2018
I had heard of Neruda, of course, but apart from reading random quotes on the Internet, I hadn’t really read his poems in depth. As with everything translated, you wonder if the original nuances of the poet’s expression have been captured in its entirety. But we will never know.
I rushed headlong into reading Neruda without having any context into his works. I wanted to enjoy poetry just for the sake of poetry without the excessive analysis that accompanied my literature days. Did I enjoy it? Some of the lines were breathtaking, yes, but overall I found myself struggling to understand the eclectic mix here. My favorites were from Neruda’s love collection, but I felt that I really needed to understand the context of some of the other poems to fully appreciate this.
I rushed headlong into reading Neruda without having any context into his works. I wanted to enjoy poetry just for the sake of poetry without the excessive analysis that accompanied my literature days. Did I enjoy it? Some of the lines were breathtaking, yes, but overall I found myself struggling to understand the eclectic mix here. My favorites were from Neruda’s love collection, but I felt that I really needed to understand the context of some of the other poems to fully appreciate this.
October 23, 2011
This is a wonderful collection of Neruda's poetry. I like this bilingual edition. The poems have a powerful lyricism in Spanish that I was glad not to have missed. His poems have a crisper edge in English, but nevertheless, retain their power. I love his Ode Poems, especially: Ode To The Eye, Ode To Walt Whitman and Ode To The Atom. Ode To The Dictioary is amusing, too. He seems able to write on any and all topics, painting a broad picture of his life, thoughts, and feelings. His strokes are large ones; sometimes leaving me to wonder what he is not really revealing in his poems. It's ok with me if he is playing with the reader as it just adds to my experience with each poem. Other poems not to miss: Memory, I Ask For Silence and Sonnet XVI. I highly recommend his sonnets. He is a master of love and passion. Wow. Now I have to read his One Hundred Love Sonnets.
Opening of Sonnet XVI
I love the handful of the earth you are.
Because of its meadows, vast as a planet,
I have no other star. You are my replica
of the multiplying universe.
Opening of Sonnet XVI
I love the handful of the earth you are.
Because of its meadows, vast as a planet,
I have no other star. You are my replica
of the multiplying universe.
March 10, 2010
Pablo Neruda (1904-1973) is a widely acclaimed Chilean poet. He was a recipient of the World Peace Prize in 1950 and the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1971. One of his idols was Walt Whitman, and he even wrote an ode to honor him. He was a staunch supporter of Stalin and Fidel Castro, and you can even detect some of that influence in his poetry.
I'm glad I chose "I Explain a Few Things", which is a translation of his poetry because I liked the format of the book. The reader has the original Spanish piece to the left and a translated version to enjoy on the right. For many of the poems, I actually read the Spanish version first and almost always found myself seeing the loss of its essence in the translation, no reflection on the translator by any means, but just so much more beautiful in its original language.
Neruda once said that, "There is no unassailable solitude. All roads lead to the same point; to a communication of who we are, and we must travel across lonely and rugged terrain, through isolation and silence to reach the magic zone where we can dance an awkward dance." In his poetry, I detected this sense of isolation of which he spoke of, and I enjoyed his raw truth of how he saw the world.
His poetry runs a wide gamut of topics, including odes to fruits and vegetables, responses to critics of his poetry, even the beauty that is the great dictionary. At times, I got the sense that he was not sharing everything with his readers, but just scratching the surface of his musings, feelings and thoughts to achieve a sense of obscurity or secrecy in his poetry.
My favorite of all of his works are the One Hundred Love Sonnets, including: "..I love the handful of the earth you are because of its meadows, vast as a planet,
I have no other star. You are my replica of the multiplying universe…" and "…Deprive me bread, air, light, spring but never your laughter for I will die…" There are more to these two poems, but I must say, the Spanish versions are much more poetic and melodic.
Overall, I'm not a huge fan of poetry, but I found something I can enjoy in Neruda.
I'm glad I chose "I Explain a Few Things", which is a translation of his poetry because I liked the format of the book. The reader has the original Spanish piece to the left and a translated version to enjoy on the right. For many of the poems, I actually read the Spanish version first and almost always found myself seeing the loss of its essence in the translation, no reflection on the translator by any means, but just so much more beautiful in its original language.
Neruda once said that, "There is no unassailable solitude. All roads lead to the same point; to a communication of who we are, and we must travel across lonely and rugged terrain, through isolation and silence to reach the magic zone where we can dance an awkward dance." In his poetry, I detected this sense of isolation of which he spoke of, and I enjoyed his raw truth of how he saw the world.
His poetry runs a wide gamut of topics, including odes to fruits and vegetables, responses to critics of his poetry, even the beauty that is the great dictionary. At times, I got the sense that he was not sharing everything with his readers, but just scratching the surface of his musings, feelings and thoughts to achieve a sense of obscurity or secrecy in his poetry.
My favorite of all of his works are the One Hundred Love Sonnets, including: "..I love the handful of the earth you are because of its meadows, vast as a planet,
I have no other star. You are my replica of the multiplying universe…" and "…Deprive me bread, air, light, spring but never your laughter for I will die…" There are more to these two poems, but I must say, the Spanish versions are much more poetic and melodic.
Overall, I'm not a huge fan of poetry, but I found something I can enjoy in Neruda.
Currently reading
January 25, 2008Just getting started with Neruda - chose this one from the bookstore shelf - feels rather like the beginning of a journey - I hope that I get lost ....
November 16, 2010
"I Explain a Few Things" is my favorite poem of all time!
November 17, 2016
the best of neruda. gems spread all over
July 10, 2018
مجالی نیست تا برای گیسوانت جشنی بپا کنم
که گیسوانت را یک به یک
شعری باید و ستایشی
دیگران
معشوق را مایملک خویش میپندارند
اما من
تنها میخواهم تماشایت کنم
در ایتالیا تو را مدوسا صدا میکنند
(به خاطر موهایت)
قلب من
آستانه ی گیسوانت را، یک به یک میشناسد
آنگاه که راه خود را در گیسوانت گم میکنی
فراموشم مکن!
و بخاطر آور که عاشقت هستم
مگذار در این دنیای تاریک بی تو گم شوم
موهای تو
این سوگواران سرگردان بافته
راه را نشانم خواهند داد
به شرط آنکه، دریغ شان بکنی
که گیسوانت را یک به یک
شعری باید و ستایشی
دیگران
معشوق را مایملک خویش میپندارند
اما من
تنها میخواهم تماشایت کنم
در ایتالیا تو را مدوسا صدا میکنند
(به خاطر موهایت)
قلب من
آستانه ی گیسوانت را، یک به یک میشناسد
آنگاه که راه خود را در گیسوانت گم میکنی
فراموشم مکن!
و بخاطر آور که عاشقت هستم
مگذار در این دنیای تاریک بی تو گم شوم
موهای تو
این سوگواران سرگردان بافته
راه را نشانم خواهند داد
به شرط آنکه، دریغ شان بکنی
June 8, 2022
Am adorat faptul că e ediție bilingvă pentru că mi-a fost tare drag să citesc în spaniolă.
Are câteva poezii superbe, dar multitudinea de subiecte abordate nu a fost pe gustul meu. Mi s-a părut greu să sar de la iubire la război, la ură, la soldați etc.
Totuși, poeziile despre dragoste rămân favoritele mele și plănuiesc să citesc și alte lucrări ale autorului.
S-a citit relativ ușor și a fost o lectură plăcută, dar voiam mai mult.
Are câteva poezii superbe, dar multitudinea de subiecte abordate nu a fost pe gustul meu. Mi s-a părut greu să sar de la iubire la război, la ură, la soldați etc.
Totuși, poeziile despre dragoste rămân favoritele mele și plănuiesc să citesc și alte lucrări ale autorului.
S-a citit relativ ușor și a fost o lectură plăcută, dar voiam mai mult.
February 4, 2014
one of the best books of any language! oh Neruda, that sly old poet writing his life in verse in his universe. I remember residencia en tierra and thought how man can think like this, this Neruda was very interesting, then I read his odas which are like waves of his life trying to find some land so he can exist! Isla NEgra made me laugh in his sad twisted way of describing the obvious world in words. and one hundred love sonnets when it sat read on my shelf with pride in its covers to demand life. with the captain's verses he taught me how to touch, but it was veinte poemas de amor y una cancion desesperada, that told me about love, that mysterious of all ages which usually leaves everyone in sublime love. but it was that one poem, that last poem that sad song of despair, that taught me heartbreak. Yes I explain a few things is a good selection of his poetry.
February 17, 2018
I haven't read enough poetry to really know whether or not it meets standards (I do know I learned a bit from English class, as well as having read Shakespeare for 4 years in high school). I came across Pablo Neruda's writing through snipits on the internet, quotes from him that interested me enough to go and purchase this copy.
I thoroughly enjoyed it. There are definite favourites here that I'll be revisiting, as well as others to illuminate parts of his life. The sadness of his experiences are hard to read about, though stripped down to fit in a poetic format, the terrible experiences of war and how the poor are treated are still described. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys poetry. It's a quick read if you want to get through the whole thing fast, but I took my time enjoying each poem.
I thoroughly enjoyed it. There are definite favourites here that I'll be revisiting, as well as others to illuminate parts of his life. The sadness of his experiences are hard to read about, though stripped down to fit in a poetic format, the terrible experiences of war and how the poor are treated are still described. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys poetry. It's a quick read if you want to get through the whole thing fast, but I took my time enjoying each poem.
September 26, 2008
Neruda is one of my favorie writers. I love this edition because it is bi-lingual, and i can read and hear his words in his native tongue. Often, there is not apt translation, only a munged up germanic version of an exquisite romance language thought.
October 27, 2009
The best "selected" I've found. Not a greatest hits. A simple field guide.
From Ilan Stevens's translation of "Ode to the Eye"
Then, at night,
your small
closing
window
opens up from the other end, like a tunnel,
to the unsettled homeland of dreams.
From Ilan Stevens's translation of "Ode to the Eye"
Then, at night,
your small
closing
window
opens up from the other end, like a tunnel,
to the unsettled homeland of dreams.
October 28, 2009
This is a great collection of his most celebrated and esteemed poetry. The key, as with reading any author of a different language than your own, is the translation. And this book has the best versions and best translations of each selection.
May 19, 2015
Love this bi-lingual edition.
Despite the best efforts... part of the meaning will always be lost in translation. Nice to be able to read the original, different languages always flow differently.
Just so.
Despite the best efforts... part of the meaning will always be lost in translation. Nice to be able to read the original, different languages always flow differently.
Just so.
July 29, 2015
I finished this collection and immediately wanted to start over again. I underlined so many passages and dog-eared so many pages and sent lines from so many poems to so many friends and read so many poems out loud to myself and to others and cried and laughed so many times.
Read
May 23, 2018Thank goodness that is finally over. If there is one thing I have learned, it's that I don't like poetry unless it tells a story. In general, my favorite poems were the odes, but my favorite overall was Sonnet XI - "I want to eat your skin like a whole almond."
March 22, 2008
I love Neruda's passion and his simple beauty when it comes to words. This is a great collection of his work
December 16, 2008
It's a pretty solid collection drawn from his individual works; I was especially pleased with excerpt from CANTO GENERAL and the poem "Ode to an Elephant."
February 1, 2009
I love Neruda's odes. I think his ode to a dictionary is just awesome.
Currently reading
March 1, 2010Pablo Neruda is under appreciated. He knows romance. He knows love.
December 30, 2009
12/21 - just starting... this claims to have 50 of his best poems. I'll decide. I was also promised some poems not previously translated in English.
Tonight's selection for "Book, beer and bath".
Tonight's selection for "Book, beer and bath".
May 9, 2013
Breathtaking. Absolutely breathtaking.
October 20, 2015
I normally love me some Neruda but I now realize that I don't like most of his longer poems- of which this is comprised mostly of. I'll stick to the shorter love poems from now on.
November 14, 2016
A beautiful poem as haunting as it is moving. A truly personal account of the Spanish civil war that inspires empathy and compassion.
February 23, 2017
Beautiful prose and poetry by the master of words for the soul, senses and the beauty of life itself.
April 13, 2017
His odes and political poems were quite stimulating to read; love poems, not so much.
January 18, 2018
Love is so short, forgetting is so long.
June 11, 2019
Great stuff!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews