Selected Odes

by Pablo Neruda, Margaret Sayers Peden (Translator)

The atom, a tuna, laziness, love—the everyday elements and essences of human experience glow in the translucent language of Neruda's odes. Chilean poet Pablo Neruda wrote three books of odes during his lifetime. Odas elementales was published in 1954, followed in subsequent years by Nuevas odas elementales and Tercer libro de las odas. Margaret Sayers Peden's selection of odes from all three volumes, printed with the Spanish originals on facing pages, is by far the most extensive yet to appear in English. She vividly conveys the poet's vision of the realities of day-to-day life in her trans-lations, while her brief introduction describes the genesis of the poems.

Genres: Poetry, Spanish Literature, Nobel Prize, Latin American Literature

388 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

About the author

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.

Reviews

[Edita · Rating 3 out of 5]

We live
on the edge
of the wave,
with the smell of the sea,
with its starry wine.

[Bahman Bahman · Rating 3 out of 5]

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

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

If snow falls
upon two heads,
the heart is sweet
the house is warm.
If not,
in the storm, the wind
asks:
where is the woman you loved?
and nipping at your heels
will press you to seek her.
Half a woman is one woman
and one man is half a man.
Each lives in half a house,
each sleeps in half a bed.

[R.G. Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read Neruda before, but I must not have been ready for him since his poems never grabbed me before. These odes, though, were a revelation in their ecstatic celebration of the everyday. Nice to know I've caught up with the rest of the world in loving Neruda.

[Malbadeen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book for your birthday, Sarah and then I started reading it and then I read it so much it looked used so....I did see a biography of Pamela lee Anderson you might enjoy, I understand it's a "must read" and your bday is still a ways out. I'm sure you'll be pleased either way.
The only thing about this book (Neruda not Anderson) that I don't love is the format: Spanish on the left and English on the right. I understand the intent but everytime I turn the page, it breaks a little because my eyes want to go to the left, but the left page is in Spanish and I can't read Spanish and even if I could I'm still not sure it would be great because the words get too far apart when you have both versions side by side (maybe if an ode was small enough to fit on one page?).
I forgot about "Ode to An Artichoke" and I'm happy I saw it again.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frankly, these poems should come off as completely trite. I mean, they're these long, rambling, effusive poems glowing with delight -- the kind of romantic stuff that should make a reader want to gag. And yet Neruda has such a gift for the ode -- his delight feels genuine, sincere, and somehow rigorous. In his "Ode to the Seagull" for example, he waxes rhapsodic for a while about the lightness of the bird and then acknowledges that the story doesn't end there -- that the seagull is also a greedy, voracious creature. What amazes him is how that rude hunger can become lightness. And so he doesn't see the world through rose-colored glasses so much as he has an excellent eye for those places in the world where there are indeed hidden roses.

[Kitty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Textured personification, the friendly snaking down of words for easy breathing; a little humor, a little tragedy, a little love. "Poetry is an act of peace." "Peace goes into the making of a poet as flour goes into the making of bread." Neruda guides us to thinking about the ordinary differently. Ode to the Thread gives us the imperative to transmit the lightening of poetry -- "revived by the light of each new day."

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that I have bought, given away, bought...this is one title I insist on having my own copy of at all times. Such a lovely book filled with Neruda's loving, loving observations of the natural world. Ode to Time is likely my favorite. I am indebted to Mata for years ago giving me a copy of Neruda's Ode to an Artichoke, which introduced me to the miracle that is Neruda.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

No one glorifies the rooster like Neruda... Those who know him, need no explanation. Pablo Neruda takes a seemingly banal subject and creates a fantastic and extraordinarily enthralling little world for it through the skill of breathtakingly beautiful language and totally unique imagery.

[Doreen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish that I could write with such descriptive beauty as Pablo Neruda. He is my favorite poet for his choice of words and the visual feast that they provide. I like the fact that these are presented in his original spanish with the english translation on the facing page.

[Lea Kocurek · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this for the Read Harder challenge - and I'm glad that they included a challenge to read a book of poetry! It was fun to branch out beyond novels and Pablo Neruda's writing is beautiful. A few of my favorite odes were: Artichoke, My Suit, Cranium, Tomato, Laboratory Technician & Dictionary.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite book of Neruda, and I love the translation, too. The odes are so simple but yet they are so visual I see a short move in each one. Ode to the Artichoke is one of my favorites.

[Cherie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A- Lovely bilingual poems. I read them in both Spanish and English.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

These poems tended to be longer than his usual poems. I was so impressed with the odes to such things as socks, the dictionary, seaweed, etc. My favrite odes were to Salt, Lemon and The Tomatoe.

[Sabrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

How to distill an exaltation: for each line, maybe one, two or three words...tapping on the reader's breath...points of light, a code in the night sky.

[Ida · Rating 5 out of 5]

Este es el hilo
de la poesía.
Los hechos como ovejas
van cargados
de luna
negra
o blanca.
...

Oda al hilo


I love Neruda's odes. I'll leave it at that. :)

[Ken · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Ode to Wine is everything.

[Shauna Tharp · Rating 5 out of 5]

My new favorite poet - from his timing to wording to subject to the visual appeal of space and letters. Loved it!

[Greta · Rating 4 out of 5]

it is summer
here, gentlemen,
nothing
has
happened.

[Monika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Neruda has an exceptional gift to spotlight an often ordinary object, a thing, or a concept. His words paint a world of colors and aromas through nuanced and evocative imagery. He is a poet that describes an ordinary tomato or sock as splendor-worthy. As a bird enthusiast, I was thrilled to discover that so many of his odes are populated by "electric, vital, melodious" birds who sadly die and become "a feather of death" or "rigid on the sand." Neruda writes on many topics and treats each one with masterful depth and sensitivity.

[IX Musas · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was younger (about a century ago, haha), I went through a phase where I was deeply in love with poetry, and Pablo Neruda was my absolute favorite. His words felt like music, lyrical and magical. I was so captivated by his work that I even visited his former home, which had been transformed into a museum, while I was in Chile. If ever I'm in a funk, I open this book and let myself get lost in his poetry.

[Sunniva Ghinea]

Mye håp og tro i Nerudas oder! Fint i det store og hele. Noen av diktene opplevde jeg som litt vel banale, mens andre var det stikk motsatte.

Utdrag fra «Ode til en død millionær»:

Jeg vet
at alle
er like i døden,
men jeg vet ikke, jeg vet ikke,
jeg tror
at den mannen,
på sin måte, ved sin død,
opphørte å være en stakkar i fengsel.

[Karla C]

"collaborate with life,
with growing things,"

"the flight of
migrating seabirds
skimming
the surface of the water;
suddenly they close
formation
and fall like arrows
upon voluminous green"

[Nimitha · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of odes written to seemingly ordinary objects such as artichoke, tomato, spoon etc. Often humorously written in simple and beautiful language while bringing into consciousness the deeper meaning of life. Very enjoyable read.

[Hooked On Code · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most useful books I've ever read. Now the salt on my kitchen table glows!!

[Shreya · Rating 4 out of 5]

a good introductory poetry book! i enjoyed it

[kristen tan · Rating 4 out of 5]

read for cwr201. guy thinks ab boobs a little too much but i cant rly blame him