Pablo 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.
*** "Dormi contigo a noite inteira junto ao mar, na ilha. Selvagem e doce eras entre o prazer e o sono, entre o fogo e a água. Talvez bem tarde os nossos sonos se uniram na altura e no fundo,em cima como ramos que um mesmo vento move,em baixo como raízes vermelhas que se tocam. Talvez o teu sono se separou do meu e pelo mar escurome procurava como antes, quando nem existias,quando sem te enxergar naveguei a teu lado e teus olhos buscavam o que agora - pão, vinho, amor e cólera - te dou, cheias as mãos, porque tu és a taça que só esperava os dons da minha vida.Dormi junto contigo a noite inteira, enquanto a escura terra gira com vivos e com mortos, de repente desperto e no meio da sombra o meu braçorodeava a tua cintura. Nem a noite nem o sonho puderam nos separar.Dormi contigo, amor, despertei, e a tua boca saída do teu sono deu-me o sabor da terra,de água-marinha, de algas, de tua íntima vida, e recebi o teu beijo molhado pela aurora como se me chegasse do mar que nos rodeia".
Pablo Neruda is a Master at describing strong emotions in a very beautiful way. The Nobel Price winner is a fabulous writer, and this book is a must in all poetry lovers.
El poema 20 es perfecto. Necesitaba leer poesía hace mucho tiempo y aunque siento que esta recopilación no fue la mas adecuada es este momento, siempre alimenta.
Non t'amo come se fossi rosa di sale, topazio o freccia di garofani che propagano il fuoco: t'amo come si amano certe cose oscure, segretamente, entro l'ombra e l'anima. T'amo come la pianta che non fiorisce e reca dentro di sè, nascosta, la luce di quei fiori; grazie al tuo amore vive oscuro nel mio corpo il concentrato aroma che ascese dalla terra. T'amo senza sapere come, nè quando nè da dove, t'amo direttamente senza problemi nè orgoglio: così ti amo perchè non so amare altrimenti che così, in questo modo in cui non sono e non sei, così vicino che la tua mano sul mio petto è mia, così vicino che si chiudono i tuoi occhi col mio sonno
Solo había leído un libro de Neruda y no me había convencido, pero este pequeño libro con poemas mezclados de él me encantó. Tengo que admitir que últimamente estoy en el mood de poesía y canciones como "the lakes" y "carolina" de taylor. Leyendo esto me sentía muy conmovida y entendía muy bien a lo que se refería incluso sin haber experimentado la mayoría de esos sentimientos. Eso es lo que hace un buen escritor: sentir demasiado fuerte, describir demasiado bien.
Tengo este libro hace mucho tiempo en mi biblioteca, entre los que heredé de mi abuela. Es un libro muy corto, menos de 100 páginas que empieza con una breve introducción de Pablo Neruda y recopila 25 de sus poemas, algunos conocidos, otros que no había leído nunca. Muchos me gustaron, algunos completos y otros sólo algunas frases, pero sin duda mi favorito es "Puedo escribir los versos..." me fascina de principio a fin y siento cada palabra dentro como si me representara completamente.
"Pero levántate, tú, levántate, pero conmigo levántate y salgamos reunidos a luchar cuerpo a cuerpo contra las telarañas del malvado, contra el sistema que reparte el hambre, contra la organización de la miseria." Neruda.