{"id":376,"date":"2019-05-24T03:22:54","date_gmt":"2019-05-24T03:22:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.freestyleacademy.rocks\/~MahikaG\/?page_id=376"},"modified":"2019-05-24T03:24:21","modified_gmt":"2019-05-24T03:24:21","slug":"poet-study-pablo-ner","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/freestyleacademy.rocks\/~MahikaG\/poet-study-pablo-ner\/","title":{"rendered":"Poet Study: Pablo Neruda"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cThe Word\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

(English Translation)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By: Pablo Neruda
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The word was born<\/p>\n\n\n\n

in the blood,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

it grew in the dark body, pulsing,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

and took flight with the lips and mouth.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Farther away and nearer,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

still, still it came<\/p>\n\n\n\n

from dead fathers and from wandering races,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

from territories that had become stone,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

that had tired of their poor tribes,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

because when grief set out on the road<\/p>\n\n\n\n

the people went and arrived<\/p>\n\n\n\n

and united new land and water<\/p>\n\n\n\n

to sow their word once again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And that\u2019s why the inheritance is this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

this is the air that connects us<\/p>\n\n\n\n

with the buried man and with the dawn<\/p>\n\n\n\n

of new beings that haven\u2019t yet arisen.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still the atmosphere trembles<\/p>\n\n\n\n

with the first word<\/p>\n\n\n\n

produced<\/p>\n\n\n\n

with panic and groaning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It emerged<\/p>\n\n\n\n

from the darkness<\/p>\n\n\n\n

and even now there is no thunder<\/p>\n\n\n\n

that thunders with the iron sound<\/p>\n\n\n\n

of that word,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

the first<\/p>\n\n\n\n

word uttered:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

perhaps it was just a whisper, a raindrop,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

but its cascade still falls and falls.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Later on, meaning fills the word.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It stayed pregnant and was filled with lives,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

everything was births and sounds:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

affirmation, clarity, strength,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

negation, destruction, death:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

the name took on all the powers<\/p>\n\n\n\n

and combined existence with essence<\/p>\n\n\n\n

in its electric beauty.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Human word, syllable, flank<\/p>\n\n\n\n

of long light and hard silver,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

hereditary goblet that receives<\/p>\n\n\n\n

the communications of the blood:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

it is here that silence was formed by<\/p>\n\n\n\n

the whole of the human word<\/p>\n\n\n\n

and not to speak is to die among beings:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

language extends out to the hair,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

the mouth speaks without moving the lips:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

suddenly the eyes are words.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I take the word and move<\/p>\n\n\n\n

through it, as if it were<\/p>\n\n\n\n

only a human form,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

its lines delight me and I sail<\/p>\n\n\n\n

in each resonance of language:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I utter and I am<\/p>\n\n\n\n

and across the boundary of words,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

without speaking, I approach silence.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I drink to the word, raising<\/p>\n\n\n\n

a word or crystalline cup,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

in it I drink<\/p>\n\n\n\n

the wine of language<\/p>\n\n\n\n

or unfathomable water<\/p>\n\n\n\n

maternal source of all words,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

and cup and water and wine<\/p>\n\n\n\n

give rise to my song<\/p>\n\n\n\n

because the name is origin<\/p>\n\n\n\n

and green life: it is blood,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

the blood that expresses its substance,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

and thus its unrolling is prepared:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

words give crystal,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

blood to the blood,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

and give life to life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Introduction<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\tPoetry has always been my favorite unit in English. I tend to have a very flowery style of writing in general and find it so beautiful when metaphors are used to describe a real-life, relatable feeling. It is for this reason that I decided to study Pablo Neruda as my poet. I have always heard about how beautiful and complex his poetry was but never took the time to read much of his poetry. I thought that this would be the perfect time to dive into the rich stories of love and nature that lay in Neruda\u2019s over 300 poems. When it came to choosing a volume of his work, I chose a giant book of his famous odes and a book that held a selected collection of sonnets and free verse. While his odes were undoubtedly exquisite, I was turned more in the way of his sonnets and free verse poems. The two poems that clearly stuck out to me were \u201cSonnet XVII\u201d and \u201cThe Word\u201d. In the end, I decided the choose \u201cThe Word\u201d because it had a lot more depth and had a lot more to analyze. It took me a couple of reads to wrap my mind around the true meaning of this poem. The way Neruda describes the origin and power of the word is immensely beautiful. He broke up the poem into stanzas based on the different emotions and importance of the first sound elicited by humans. This poem is not only beautiful to hear but is also very insightful on our society and how language and communication is something we take for granted but is something we cannot live without. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

AP Style Response<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\t<\/strong>The story told through this poem is the story of the origin of language. It is the story of the first \u201cword\u201d ever uttered by man\u2013 the sound that first escaped from one\u2019s vocal cords causing a ripple effect that forged the art of communication. It is the idea that without this interconnectedness, humans as a species would cease to exist. Through \u201cThe Word\u201d, Pablo Neruda took a step back to marvel the essence<\/em> of human nature. He used this poem to argue about the beauty, passion, and importance of words\u2013 something he believed to be commonly taken for granted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\tMuch like most of Neruda\u2019s poetry, this poem is free verse without a consistent meter or cadence. The first impression we get from this poem is the title, \u201cThe Word\u201d. At first glance, it sounds like this poem is going to be about the power of words. This poem traces the progression of language. It started off as the sounds we elicited\u2013 an innate part of us. Then, these sounds were used to form the many different languages formed by different tribes and cultures around the world. But none of these languages would have been formed if it wasn\u2019t for the first word ever uttered\u2013 nothing more than a sound that escaped from a person\u2019s lips that had a ripple effect, leading to the creation of the languages we have today. This poem touches on the formation and importance of words and communication to not just the human race, but animals in general. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\tNeruda broke this poem up into stanzas based on the different emotions and purposes of The Word. The first stanza is, \u201cThe word was born in the blood, it grew in the dark body, pulsing, and took flight with the lips and mouth.\u201d This phrase personifies The Word by giving it human characteristics, like the fact that it is born and grows. However, it also means that language and communication are innate parts of humans that everyone is born with, growing inside us until we ourselves<\/em> are born. It is then let loose the minute we enter Earth\u2019s atmosphere as a cry, letting everyone know we are alive. The use of the words \u201cdark body\u201d and \u201cpulsing\u201d makes the first part of the poem feel deep and passionate. The next stanza of the poem starts off with \u201cFarther away and nearer, still, still it came.\u201d Reading this sentence is like looking through a zoom lense, zooming out then in on the past. It gives a reminiscent tone that makes you think back to a time of development that lead to today\u2019s society. The third stanza starts off with the phrase, \u201cStill the atmosphere trembles with the first word produced with panic and groaning.\u201d This phrase segways from reminiscent and dreamy to heavy and omnipresent. The use of \u201catmosphere\u201d gives the connotation that it is all around us and shows the importance the first word gave our world. The last stanza starts off with the phrase, \u201cI drink to the word, raising a word or crystalline cup.\u201d This phrase starts off the last stanza and gives a sense of glory and accomplishment. Neruda\u2019s shifts in tone from stanza to stanza shows the many different facets of The Word and how it is there, encompassing every moment and feeling in our lives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This poem is filled with different metaphors and emotions that help convey Neruda\u2019s thoughts on The Word. The next stanza starts off with the phrase, \u201cLater on, meaning fills the word. It stayed pregnant and was filled with lives.\u201d This phrase is difficult to literally interpret, but metaphorically it is referring to how words make us alive and make life possible. It shows how The Word refers to the first sound and how all other words were born from that\u2013 words such as \u201caffirmation, clarity, strength\u201d and \u201cnegation, destruction, and death\u201d\u2013 are so powerful and have a lot of influence on people\u2019s lives. The following phrase is a part of the fifth stanza: \u201cLanguage extends out to the hair, the mouth speaks without moving the lips: suddenly the eyes are words.\u201d This phrase shows that as humans evolved, language became an essential part of us\u2013 it became second nature. Neruda shows this through the imagery of words literally blending in with our physical features. These examples show Neruda\u2019s masterful use of metaphors and how they add to the meaning of The Word and its blossom into language and communication. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After reading and analyzing Neruda\u2019s poem, the title, \u201cThe Word\u201d, seems to hold more meaning. It is now clear that The Word refers to the first <\/em>word, or rather the first sound ever elicited, heard by nothing but Mother Nature herself. The poem then goes on to talk about how so much meaning has been put behind these sounds which are now languages that make our society possible. It essentially refers to the start of mankind, and the connection between existence and essence. Throughout this poem, Neruda wants the readers to ponder the existence of language, communication, and words in general. It holds such a big part in our everyday lives and yet it is something that we don\u2019t generally stop to think about. Neruda is trying to get his audience to realize just how amazing it is to be able to speak and communicate, and how essential it is to species across the globe. Without it, we would not be able to survive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Biographical and Background Information<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\t<\/strong>Pablo Neruda was born in Parral, Chile on July 12, 1904 as Ricardo Eliecer Neftal\u00ed Reyes Basoalto and died on September 23, 1973. While he was no doubt an amazing poet, his affiliation with the Communist Party and support of Stalin, Batista, and Castro has left his work controversial. His death is still being sporadically investigated as there are allegations as to whether or not he was poisoned. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\tNeruda came from a humble household. His father was a railroad worker and his mother was a teacher who died shortly after his birth. He started his writing journey at the young age of 13 and assumed the pen name Pablo Neruda after the Czech poet Jan Neruda. Some of Neruda\u2019s most famous early works are Crepusculario (Book of Twilight) <\/em> and Veinte poemas de amor y una canci\u00f3n desesperada (Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair).<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\tThere was a Latin American tradition of honoring poets with diplomatic posts and so in 1927, Neruda began his diplomatic journey. In 1936, Neruda wrote about the atrocities of the Spanish Civil War including one particularly gory yet devastating poem about the execution of his friend. He wrote an anthology called Espa\u00f1a en el coraz\u00f3n (Spain in Our Hearts)<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\tIn 1945, Neruda joined the Communist Party of Chile which was taken under siege three years later, forcing him and his family to flee the country. During the next 30 years, he won the International Peace Prize in 1950, the Lenin Peace Prize and the Stalin Peace Prize in 1953, and the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1971. However he eventually did make it back to his hometown where he died in 1973 officially due to prostate cancer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\tAs a child, Neruda was always different from the kids at his school. Most of his inspiration came from the Chilean Forest, which he attributes to his first inspiration for poetry. He even wrote, \u201cOn the frontier of my country\u2019s Wild West, I first opened my eyes to life, land, poetry, and the rain\u201d (Memoirs 6). Often, little Neruda would also travel on the train with his father. On these trips, he collected various insects and animals, including \u201csnake mothers\u201d which were considered the \u201ctitan of insects\u201d in Chile. This was how he became obsessed with nature and pulled inspiration from it to write his odes. As Neruda became older, the differences between his views on life versus other kids became increasingly obvious. Neruda explained portions of his childhood when he wrote, \u201cWhile I was busy examining the marvelous acorn, green and polished, with its gray, wrinkled hood, or while I was still trying clumsily to make one of those pipes they would eventually grab away from me, a downpour of acorns would pelt my head\u201d (Memoirs 12). This shows how while the other kids were busy using these acorns as weapons to protect their manhood, Neruda takes the time to admire and appreciate the artwork that is the acorn\u2013 some of nature\u2019s finest work. This view on life and his unique way of thinking are what made him such a one-of-a-kind, amazing poet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connection to the Poet\u2019s Larger Body of Work<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\t<\/strong>Neruda wrote many different kinds of poems. He has written over 225 odes and 100 love sonnets as well as a collection of other free verse poems. While all of his poems share a similar poetic voice, there are stark differences in the style of each of these poems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\tOne of Neruda\u2019s many odes is Oda a la Cebolla<\/em>, or Ode to the Onion. In general, most of Neruda\u2019s odes show his fascination towards nature\u2013 the place he draws most of his inspiration from. \u201cOde to the Onion\u201d shows Neruda\u2019s appreciation to the simplest onion and compares it to the goddess Aphrodite. It is a rather simple poem, being that the interpretation of it is just the appreciation he has for the simple, god-given things in life: nature. This is a very different poem than \u201cThe Word\u201d\u2013 a complex story of the origin and importance of language through the personification of The Word. \u201cOde to the Onion\u201d contains phrases like, \u201cluminous flask, your beauty formed petal by petal\u201d and \u201cyour clumsy green stem appeared and your leaves were born like swords\u201d which shows a more playful, loving tone throughout the poem. However, \u201cThe Word\u201d has a much deeper voice with layers of meaning behind each phrase and stanza. Some of these phrases include, \u201cit grew in the dark body, pulsing, and took flight with the lips and mouth\u201d and \u201cstill the atmosphere trembles with the first word produced.\u201d These phrases show a lot more intensity and gravity in the meaning of the poem. While the \u201cOde to the Onion\u201d shows a more flowery, wistful, wondrous side of Neruda, \u201cThe Word\u201d dives into the depths of his mind and soul to give his thoughts towards one of the most innate parts of our society\u2013 something we often take for granted. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\tNeruda also wrote 100 love sonnets. One of my favorite of these is his \u201cSonnet XVII\u201d. One key phrase in this sonnet is, \u201cI love you as the plant that doesn\u2019t bloom but carries the light of those flowers, hidden, within itself\u2026\u201d. This phrase has a very light-hearted whimsical tone that is often seen in writings about love. It is very true and from the heart along with being playful and light. Another key phrase in this poem is, \u201cso close that your hand upon my chest is my hand, so intimate that when I fall asleep it is your eyes that close.\u201d These are more words and feelings transcribed from Neruda\u2019s heart. This poem carries the light, whimsical feeling of being in love along with the truth from deep within Neruda\u2019s heart. This greatly differs from the insightful message of \u201cThe Word\u201d as \u201cThe Word\u201d has a tone of intensity and a greater, heavier message that sets upon the readers. For example, the phrases \u201cit grew in the dark body, pulsing, and took flight with the lips and mouth\u201d and \u201cstill the atmosphere trembles with the first word produced with a panic and groaning.\u201d These phrases show the intensity of the first word and the greater effect it has had on the rest of the world. It describes something not as fleeting as love but something with the rock solid foundation that the rest of our world is built on. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\t\u201cThe Word\u201d, \u201cOde to the Onion\u201d, and \u201cSonnet XVII\u201d each show a different part of Neruda: his wit, his heart, and his soul. All of these poems are different because they each bear a different side of Neruda, but that is also why they are very similar. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Works Cited<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPablo Neruda – Biographical.\u201d Nobelprize.org<\/em>, 1993, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

www.nobelprize.org\/nobel_prizes\/literature\/laureates\/1971\/neruda-bio.html<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Neruda, Pablo. Memoirs<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Neruda, Pablo. Full Woman, Fleshly Apple, Hot Moon<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Neruda, Pablo. Selected Odes<\/em>.
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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