Poetry for Peace: Pablo Neruda

The first thing I think of when I hear the name Pablo Neruda is French fries. He is a Chilean poet who writes a variety of types of poetry, including an impressive collection of Odes to simple things, like French fries and broken objects. The first Neruda poem I was ever introduced to was his poem “Oda a las papas fritas” (“Ode to French Fries”) during my high school Spanish class. The poem, though simple, was fun and lighthearted and it stuck in my mind. Neruda, however, is much more than just a writer of simple and comical odes; he has written powerful poetry as a social activist, as well as created over 100 moving love sonnets. I was looking forward to the reading to be exposed to some more of Neruda’s poetry!

I really enjoyed the reading! It was kind of nice to be in an intimate setting, and I thought it was great that many of the people attending the reading actually got up and read a poem, myself included. I wasn’t expecting to, however Marina Llorente, the organizer of the Poetry for Peace series, is also one of my Spanish professors and when I walked into the room she saw me and persuaded me to read. I didn’t really want to at first, but I am glad I did it. I read the English translation of Neruda’s Love Sonnet 76. It was fun to participate!

Some great poems were shared. The reading opened with “I’m Going to Explain a Few Things,” a poem about the Spanish Civil War, followed by “You Come Flying,” a tribute to Neruda’s friend who passed away. I read "I Do Not Love You Except Because I Love You," a love sonnet, next with a girl from my Spanish class. Following our reading was “Oda a Valparaiso,” a great poem with awesome images and a fun personification of a city. I really enjoyed this poem, the vibrant descriptions and language used to describe the city was wonderful, both in Spanish and in English. Next, Candice did an awesome job reading another of Neruda’s love poems. This was probably my favorite poem of the reading. It’s entitled “Puedo escribir los versos mas tristes esta noche” (“I Can Write The Saddest Lines Tonight”) and was about losing a lover to someone else. There was amazing imagery, incredibly sad lines, the tone was a mix of sadness, desperation, regret and bitterness and the English translation was just as beautiful as the original Spanish poem. Probably one of the most moving readings came next with the poem “Oda a las cosas rotas” (“An Ode to Broken Things”). This reader (I feel really bad, but I am not sure of her name) was incredibly passionate. She also read one of her own poems also, about an ongoing war in her native city, which was great! Hearing someone read their own poetry is a moving experience because it allows those listening to see the importance of the poem to the writer, and see a more personal side of the poem. The reading wrapped up with “Oda al libro” (“Ode to a Book”) and finally, another of Neruda’s love sonnets.

Overall, the poetry reading was a great experience. Because I speak and understand Spanish, I feel that I got more out of the reading. I could connect with the poems both in Spanish and in English, as well as appreciate the language and the variations between the two versions of each poem. Attending the reading was a great way to be introduced to more of Neruda’s poetry—I found that I really like his poems, both the comical and the more somber. I think he is a great poet and I hope to read (and listen to) more of his poetry in the future!

p.s. Here's the poem I read! Chelsea put one up on the blog, so I thought I would too. Enjoy!

I Do Not Love You Except Because I Love You
Pablo Neruda

I do not love you except because I love you;
I go from loving to not loving you,
From waiting to not waiting for you
My heart moves from cold to fire.

I love you only because it's you the one I love;
I hate you deeply, and hating you
Bend to you, and the measure of my changing love for you
Is that I do not see you but love you blindly.

Maybe January light will consume
My heart with its cruel
Ray, stealing my key to true calm.

In this part of the story I am the one who
Dies, the only one, and I will die of love because I love you,
Because I love you, Love, in fire and blood.