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Actually I didn't read about 50 pages, since they were bizarrely missing from my copy due to a binding error!
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Selected Poems
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In his long life as a poet, Pablo Neruda succeeded in becoming what many poets have aspired to but never a public voice, a voice not just for the people of his country but for his entire continent. Widely translated, he probably reached more readers than any poet in history; justly so, for, as he often said, his 'poet's obligation' was to become a voice for all those who had no voice, an aspiration that stemmed from his long-time commitment to the communist faith. Born in 1904 in the rainy south of Chile, he enjoyed from an early age the luck of attention. One of his first books, "Twenty Love Poems", became a bible for lovers in the Spanish language, and confirmed him in his poet's vocation. At the same time he pursued a lifelong career as a diplomat, serving in a series of consular posts in the Far East and Europe. In 1971, while serving as Chilean ambassador to France, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature. In a famous essay, "On Impure Poetry", Neruda calls for 'a poetry as impure as old clothes, as a body with its foodstains and its shame, with wrinkles, observations, dreams, wakefulness, prophesies, declarations of love and hate, stupidities, shocks, idylls, political beliefs, negations, doubts, affirmations, and taxes'.
240 pages, Paperback
First published August 31,1949
This edition
- Format
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240 pages, Paperback
- Published
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January 1, 1992 by Penguin Books
- ISBN
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9780140186185
- ASIN
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0140186182
- Language
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English
About the author
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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.
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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Community Reviews
Rating(3.9 / 5.0, 99 votes)
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99 reviews All reviews
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I bought this in Paris in 2015. There's less love poetry in it than I was led to believe, but I'd wager the collection a decent representative of his work, covering a variety of subjects. I appreciated how it had the original poem on the left and the translation on the right. I wish there were annotations, as I could tell there was context I was missing. Highlighted phrases and stanzas throughout and dogeared about half a dozen poems for me to return to.
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I had forgotten how much I loved Neruda and it was so refreshing to read more of his poetry that are not love poems, though I love them as well.
And I think I need to read more of his poetry that is focused on war, Latin America, etc. because to a degree they are all about love just not all about women.
And I think I need to read more of his poetry that is focused on war, Latin America, etc. because to a degree they are all about love just not all about women.
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Beautiful poems…
Neruda had the
essence of poetry in him.
He was a real poet in every way..
Neruda had the
essence of poetry in him.
He was a real poet in every way..
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There are hardly any words adequate for describing the poetry of Neruda. This along with 20 songs of desperation is my favourite and is absolutely beautiful. Whether it is about Macchu Pichu or soldiers or about love, his mastery of language and the music of words is mesmerising.
The petals of the ocean contend with a planet's pulsation.
The underseas granaries tremble.
A gloss on the sea-lettuce poises its menace,
a swimming and swarming of schools;
the mesh of the net-cord, ascending,
draws up only a fish scale's extinction of lightning
one wounded gradation of distance
in the crystal's accomplished perfection
This collection was carefully and wonderfully translated by Ben Belitt and includes the original Spanish on the left pages for comparison.
The petals of the ocean contend with a planet's pulsation.
The underseas granaries tremble.
A gloss on the sea-lettuce poises its menace,
a swimming and swarming of schools;
the mesh of the net-cord, ascending,
draws up only a fish scale's extinction of lightning
one wounded gradation of distance
in the crystal's accomplished perfection
This collection was carefully and wonderfully translated by Ben Belitt and includes the original Spanish on the left pages for comparison.
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3.5
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Es un libro que siempre leo, generalmente algunos poemas sueltos pero este año lo relei entero por reencontrarme con Neruda y con mi adolescencia
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bit too much about boobies
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