There are very few poets in the world that you can claim to read in a state of half sleep, early in the morning and who can still fill your heart with their words, bewitch your senses and charm your imagination the way Pablo Neruda does. Apart from the poems of love and beauty, what really captured me in this collection was this particular poem about the mermaid and the drunks. An outwardly creature tormented by the world, surprised by how cruel humans can be, how inebriated they can be blind to all that is good and pure and simple, it was the one poem that said a thousand things through a short fable.

Neruda is the master of enchantment and I highly recommend this book to anyone, who claims to have even an ounce of feelings in their heart.

The great philosopher Wittgenstein used to say that the limits of your language are the limits of your world.. And Tim Robbins wrote that "Our world isn't made of earth, air and water or even molecules and atoms; our world is made of language"..
Well, Philosophy books nurture me, feed my passion for knowledge and quench my persistent intellectual curiosity, but Neruda's poetry expands the world to me..


"A single sliver,
of you between my fingers
sifts like sand,
the river bend of your waist

the carvings of caves
as old scars and birthmarks
from your skin, I taste
in slow gulps
of rising familiarities
with your words, hidden and pressed
between pensive lips

seasons change, yet
our kisses
bridge what spring gained
and autumn lost".

The poems included in this short collection are from the superb Italian movie Il Postino (The Postman, 1994) filmed as an homage to Pablo Neruda's love poetry..

These 10 poems were recited by Hollywood actors and famous singers such as Sting, Glenn Close, Ralph Fiennes, Madonna, Andy Garcia...

Scenes from the movie.. Simply orgasmic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Wm-k...

The poem "If You Forget Me" recited by Madonna
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f88n8...

I love this short collection! I devoured it in about 20 minutes, then went back and read each one slowly. So little of poetry that I like actually resonates. This collection spoke the words that describe my thoughts in the shower, trying to warm myself with scalding water following a shock or heartbreak. These poems capture what love feels like to me...

"you are like my soul, a butterfly of dream
and you are like the word melancholy."

ugh

the moon lives in the lining of your skin."

i have respectfully deceased

I love Pablo Neruda. His poems are moving and earthy and sultry. Perfect reading as I near my wedding day.

This collection of love poems showcases Neruda's unparalleled ability to articulate the intensity, beauty, and anguish of love in its various forms.

I don't believe the translation fully captured the essence of his original Spanish verses. But, the overall impact and beauty of his poetry remain intact, allowing readers to appreciate the timeless nature of his work.

"

No one writes a love poem like Pablo Neruda. The sensuality of his language, so inspired by nature and the richness of the earth, rolls through the mind long after this book is put back on the shelf. This is one of those books that stays next to my bed at all times so that I can pick it up whenever I need to be reminded of how simple and how vibrant words of love can be.

I need to learn Spanish to love this man in his native language.

The book explained how he first encountered poetry and how he briskly fell in love with it. Pablo Neruda writes from his heart without the need to use exaggerated words. He does not need an effort to capture the heart of the audience. He does not have his own style because it's simple, he just writes what he feels. I can't wait to read more of his poems!

Btw, my personal favorite from the book is XX Tonight I can write... :)

He writes with a passion beyond compare. His poetry touches me. I love Pablo Neruda. I am not a huge fan of poetry. The only books of poetry I own are written by Neruda. His books are like beautifully written love stories. Love him love him love him.

I love this book and the movie Il Postino. The Il Postino soundtrack features the poems in this book set to music and read by well-known actors and actresses. It's a teriffic soundtrack.

faves: i like for you to be still, poetry, tonight i can write