Pablo Neruda
Pablo Neruda 12-5-11
ENG 204: Survey of World Literature 17th Century to the Present
Section 01
Prof. Karpuk
Pablo Neruda, a twentieth century Latin American poet did not limit his writing to one area of topics. After reading his poems he seems to be a very cultural poet that was influenced by politics, love, nature, and anything that evoked emotion. What sets Pablo Neruda apart from other poets is his use of figurative language, which brings his poetry to life and provides vivid visual imagery. Pablo Neruda’s poetry captures the readers’ attention and draws emphasis on the point he is trying to make. In the poems “Tonight I Can Write…” “Walking Around”, “Explaining a Few Things”, and “Ode to the Tomato” I analyze how Neruda’s figurative language gives the reader a detailed imagery of the poem. In Neruda’s poem “Walking Around” he used a variety of figurative expressions to show the distance between nature and the town that he lived in. The mundane routine of bodily maintenance reaches a boiling point within him as he walked around his suburb recognizing the gap between urban and rural society. “It happens that I am tired of my feet and my nails/ and my hair and my shadow. / It happens that I am tired of being a man”(Neruda, “Walking Around” 2443) Being a well-kept man comes with basic necessities such as haircuts, buying well-made clothes from a tailor, or fixing your self up in the morning to appear presentable to the outside world and Neruda is sick of it. It happens that I go into the tailor’s shop and the movies/ all shriveled/ the smell of barber shops makes me sob out loud. / I want nothing but the repose either of stones or of wool, / I want to see no more establishments, no more gardens, / nor merchandise, nor glasses, nor elevators”(Neruda, 2443)
His figurative language causes the reader to think about what he is saying. He is sick of his own existence, meaning he has to deal with this day-to-day maintenance and rather go back
ENG 204: Survey of World Literature 17th Century to the Present
Section 01
Prof. Karpuk
Pablo Neruda, a twentieth century Latin American poet did not limit his writing to one area of topics. After reading his poems he seems to be a very cultural poet that was influenced by politics, love, nature, and anything that evoked emotion. What sets Pablo Neruda apart from other poets is his use of figurative language, which brings his poetry to life and provides vivid visual imagery. Pablo Neruda’s poetry captures the readers’ attention and draws emphasis on the point he is trying to make. In the poems “Tonight I Can Write…” “Walking Around”, “Explaining a Few Things”, and “Ode to the Tomato” I analyze how Neruda’s figurative language gives the reader a detailed imagery of the poem. In Neruda’s poem “Walking Around” he used a variety of figurative expressions to show the distance between nature and the town that he lived in. The mundane routine of bodily maintenance reaches a boiling point within him as he walked around his suburb recognizing the gap between urban and rural society. “It happens that I am tired of my feet and my nails/ and my hair and my shadow. / It happens that I am tired of being a man”(Neruda, “Walking Around” 2443) Being a well-kept man comes with basic necessities such as haircuts, buying well-made clothes from a tailor, or fixing your self up in the morning to appear presentable to the outside world and Neruda is sick of it. It happens that I go into the tailor’s shop and the movies/ all shriveled/ the smell of barber shops makes me sob out loud. / I want nothing but the repose either of stones or of wool, / I want to see no more establishments, no more gardens, / nor merchandise, nor glasses, nor elevators”(Neruda, 2443)
His figurative language causes the reader to think about what he is saying. He is sick of his own existence, meaning he has to deal with this day-to-day maintenance and rather go back