Pablo Neruda - People's Poet

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1971 nobel prize winner for lite people's poet senator south american poets

Pablo Neru a 197! " #$ years ol

About Pablo Neruda: %hilean poet, writer, iplomat, political acti&ist an e'ile, Nobel Prize winner for (iterature, )people's poet,) senator, an one of the *reatest +outh American poets. Early Days: Born Neftal, -icar o -eyes Basoalto in southern %hile, on .uly 1!, 19/0, to a family who isappro&e of his literary leanin*s, a youn* man sol all his possessions, too1 on the pen name of Pablo Neru a, an publishe his first boo1, Crepusculario 2)3wili*ht)4 in 19!5. 6ollowin* the success of this first boo1, the ne't year he ha a publisher an with Veinte poemas de amor y una cancion desesperada 2)3wenty (o&e Poems an a +on* of 7espair)4, his life"lon* literary career was un erway. Political Life: 8n 19!7, honore for his contributions as a poet, Neru a was name honorary consul to Burma. 6rom -an*oon, he went on to ser&e in %eylon, .a&a, Ar*entina an +pain. His frien ship with +panish poet 6e erico 9arc,a (orca be*an in Buenos Aires an continue in :a ri , where Neru a establise a literary re&iew calle Caballo verde para la poesa with +panish writer :anuel Altola*uirre in 195;. 3he outbrea1 of the +panish %i&il <ar in 195# chan*e Neru a's life. He sympathize with the lloyalist a*ainst 9eneral 6ranco, an reporte e&ents, inclu in* the brutal mur er of 9arc,a (orca in Espana en el corazon. =ne of the e'emplary poems of this time is Ill Explain Some Things. He was recalle from :a ri in 1957, left the consular ser&ice an returne to >urope to help +panish refu*ees. -eturnin* to %hile, he was appointe %onsul to :e'ico in 1959, an on his return, four years later, he ?oine the %ommunist party an was electe to the +enate. (ater, when %hilean *o&ernment name the %ommunist party ille*al, Neru a was e'pelle from the +enate. He left the country an went into hi in*. He later tra&ele e'tensi&ely throu*h >urope an the Americas.

<hen the %hilean *o&ernment re&erse its position on leftist political fi*ures, Neru a returne to %hile in 19;!, an for the ne't !1 years, his life combine his passions for politics an poetry. 7urin* these years, he was reco*nize on numerous occasions, inclu in* honorary octorates, con*ressional me als, the 8nternational Peace Prize in 19;/, the (enin Peace Prize an the +talin Peace Prize in 19;5, an the Nobel Prize for (iterature in 1971. <hile ser&in* as ambassa or to 6rance, Neru a was ia*nose with cancer. He resi*ne an returne to %hile, where he ie on +eptember !5, 1975. Before his eath, he wrote his thou*hts about the +eptember 11 coup an the eath of +al&a or Allen e in 9olpe e >sta o. Personal Life: As a teena*er in school in 3emuco, Neru a met 9abriela :istral, alrea y a reco*nize poet. Between multiple, international lo&e affairs, he met an marrie :ar,a Antonieta Haa*enaar @o*elzanzin .a&a, whom he later i&orce . He marrie 7elia el %arril an this marria*e also en e in i&orce. He later met an marrie :atil e Arrutia, for whom he name their house in +antia*o La Chascona. 3hat an his home at 8sla Ne*ra are now museums, o&erseen by the 6un aciBn Pablo Neru a. Literary Works: 6rom his first chil hoo poem to the last, Neru a wrote more than forty &olumes of poetry, translations, an &erse rama. +ome of his wor1 was publishe posthumously, an some of his poems were use in the film 8l Postino 23he Postman4, about the postman intro uce to life, lo&e an poetry by Neru a. His Veinte poemas de amor y una cancion desesperada alone has sol more than a million copies. His Canto eneral, written in e'ile an publishe in 19;/, contains 50/ poems about (atin American history from a :ar'ist point of &iew. 3hese poems isplay his eep 1nowle *e about the history, inclu in* his earlier wor1, the famous poem !lturas de "acchu #icchu, *eo*raphy an politics of the continent. 3he central theme is the stru**le for social ?ustice, ma1in* him the #eople$s #oet. 3he wor1 contains illustrations by :e'ican artists 7ie*o -i&era am 7a&i Alfaro +iCueiros. +ome of his wor1D E Poems by Pablo Neru a E >lementary = es E (o&e E Poems by Pablo Neru a E Pablo Neru a No matter if you rea Neru a's poetry in +panish or in translation, the power, the passion an the soul of the man shines throu*h. (o&er, political acti&ist, the &oice of the common man""all this an more from Pablo Neru a. %hile I am &riting' I am (ar a&ay) and &hen I come bac*' I have already le(t+ I should li*e to see i( the same thing happens

to other people as it does to me' to see i( as many people are as I am' and i( they seem the same &ay to themselves+ %hen this problem has been thoroughly explored' I am going to school mysel( so &ell in things that' &hen I try to explain my problems' I shall spea*' not o( sel(' but o( geography+ <e are many

Pablo Neruda
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Neftal Ricardo Reyes Basoalto July 12, 190 !arral, "hile #eptem$er 2%, 19&% 'aged (9) Died #antiago, "hile Occupation !oet, *iplomat, !olitical figure Nobel Prize in Literature Notable award(s) 19&1 Born

Pablo Neruda 'July 12, 190 +#eptem$er 2%, 19&%) ,as the pen name and, later, legal name of the "hilean ,riter and politician Neftal Ricardo Reyes Basoalto- Neruda assumed his pen name as a teenager, partly $ecause it ,as in vogue, partly to hide his poetry from his father, a rigid man ,ho ,anted his son to have a .practical. occupationNeruda/s pen name ,as derived from "0ech ,riter and poet Jan Neruda1 !a$lo is thought to $e from !aul 2erlaine- Neruda/s pen name later $ecame his legal name-3ith his ,or4s translated into many languages, !a$lo Neruda is considered one of the greatest and most influential poets of the 20th centuryNeruda ,as accomplished in a variety of styles ranging from erotically charged love poems li4e his collection Twenty Poems of Love and a Song of Despair, surrealist poems, historical epics, and overtly political manifestos- 5n 19&1 Neruda ,on the No$el !ri0e for 6iterature, a controversial a,ard $ecause of his political activism- "olom$ian novelist 7a$riel 7arca 89r:ue0 once called him .the greatest poet of the 20th century in any language.-;1< =n July 1>, 19 >, at !acaem$u #tadium in #?o !aulo, Bra0il, he read to 100,000 people in honor of "ommunist revolutionary leader 6us "arlos !restes-;2< 3hen Neruda returned to "hile after his No$el !ri0e acceptance speech, #alvador @llende invited him to read at the Astadio Nacional $efore &0,000 people-;%< *uring his lifetime, Neruda occupied many diplomatic posts and served a stint as a senator for the "hilean "ommunist !arty- 3hen "onservative "hilean !resident

7on09le0 2idela outla,ed communism in "hile, a ,arrant ,as issued for Neruda/s arrestBriends hid him for months in a house $asement in the "hilean port of 2alparaso- 6ater, Neruda escaped into eCile through a mountain pass near 8aihue 6a4e into @rgentinaDears later, Neruda ,as a close colla$orator to socialist !resident #alvador @llendeNeruda ,as hospitali0ed ,ith cancer at the time of the "hilean coup d/Etat led $y @ugusto !inochet- F,elve days after $eing hospitali0ed, Neruda died of heart failure@lready a legend in life, Neruda/s death rever$erated around the ,orld- !inochet had denied permission to transform Neruda/s funeral into a pu$lic event- Go,ever, thousands of grieving "hileans diso$eyed the curfe, and cro,ded the streets-refH.!a$lo Neruda, Fhe !oet/s "alling. ;1<IJrefH- Neruda/s funeral $ecame the first pu$lic protest against the "hilean military dictatorship-

Contents
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1 Aarly years 2 2einte poemas % #panish "ivil 3ar 8eCico > Return to "hile ( Neruda and #talinism & #enator K ACile 9 Return to "hile 10 Binal years 11 6egacy 12 #ee also 1% Burther reading 1 Notes 1> References 1( ACternal lin4s

[edit] Early years

Ricardo Alie0er Neftal Reyes y Basoalto ,as $orn in !arral, a city in 6inares !rovince in the 8aule Region, some 00 4m south of #antiago- Gis father, JosE del "armen Reyes 8orales, ,as a rail,ay employee1 his mother, Rosa Basoalto, ,as a school teacher ,ho died t,o months after he ,as $orn- Neruda and his father soon moved to Femuco, ,here his father married Frinidad "andia 8arverde, a ,oman ,ith ,hom he had had a child nine years earlier, a $oy named Rodolfo- Neruda also gre, up ,ith his halfLsister 6aura, one of his father/s children $y another ,oman-

Fhe young Neruda ,as christened .Neftal., his late mother/s middle name- Gis father ,as opposed to Neruda/s interest in ,riting and literature, $ut Neruda received encouragement from others, including future No$el !ri0e ,inner 7a$riela 8istral, ,ho headed the local girls/ school- Gis first pu$lished ,or4 ,as an essay he ,rote for the local daily ne,spaper, La Maana, at the age of thirteen: Entusiasmo y perseverancia '.Anthusiasm and !erseverance.)- By 1920, ,hen he adopted the pseudonym of !a$lo Neruda, he ,as a pu$lished author of poetry, prose, and Mournalism-

[edit] Veinte poemas

5n the follo,ing year '1921), he moved to #antiago to study Brench at the Nniversidad de "hile ,ith the intention of $ecoming a teacher, $ut soon Neruda ,as devoting himself full time to poetry- 5n 192% his first volume of verse, Crepusculario '.Boo4 of F,ilights.), ,as pu$lished, follo,ed the neCt year $y Veinte poemas de amor y una cancin desesperada '.F,enty 6ove !oems and a *esperate #ong.), a collection of love poems that ,as controversial for its eroticism, especially considering its author/s young age- Both ,or4s ,ere critically acclaimed and ,ere translated into many languages- =ver the decades, Veinte poemas ,ould sell millions of copies and $ecome Neruda/s $estL 4no,n ,or4Neruda/s reputation ,as gro,ing $oth inside and outside of "hile, $ut he ,as plagued $y poverty- 5n 192&, out of desperation, he too4 an honorary consulship in Rangoon, then a part of colonial Burma and a place of ,hich he had never heard $efore- 6ater, he ,or4ed stints in "olom$o '"eylon), Batavia 'Java), and #ingapore- 5n Java he met and married his first ,ife, a tall *utch $an4 employee named 8ary4a @ntonieta Gagenaar 2ogel0ang3hile on diplomatic service, Neruda read large amounts of poetry and eCperimented ,ith many different poetic forms- Ge ,rote the first t,o volumes of esidencia en la tierra! ,hich included many surrealistic poems-

[edit] Spanish Civil War

@fter returning to "hile, Neruda ,as given diplomatic posts in Buenos @ires and then Barcelona, #pain- Ge later replaced 7a$riela 8istral as consul in 8adrid, ,here he $ecame the center of a lively literary circle, $efriending such ,riters as Rafael @l$erti, Bederico 7arca 6orca, and the !eruvian poet "Esar 2alleMo- @ daughter, 8alva 8arina Frinidad, ,as $orn in 8adrid in 19% 1 she ,as to $e plagued ,ith health pro$lems, especially hydrocephalus, for the ,hole of her short life- *uring this period, Neruda $ecame slo,ly estranged from his ,ife and too4 up ,ith *elia del "arril, an @rgentine ,oman ,ho ,as t,enty years his senior and ,ho ,ould eventually $ecome his second ,ife- Ge divorced from his *utch ,ife in 19%(, ,ho moved to the Netherlands ,ith his only child1 this child died in 19 %@s #pain $ecame engulfed in civil ,ar, Neruda $ecame intensely politici0ed for the first time- Gis eCperiences of the #panish "ivil 3ar and its aftermath moved him a,ay from distinctive, privately focused la$or in the direction of collective o$ligation and $etter cohesion- Neruda $ecame an ardent communist, and remained so for the rest of his life-

Fhe radical leftist politics of his literary friends, as ,ell as that of del "arril, ,ere contri$uting factors, $ut the most important catalyst ,as the eCecution of 7arca 6orca $y forces loyal to Brancisco Branco- By means of his speeches and ,ritings, Neruda thre, his support $ehind the Repu$lican side, pu$lishing a collection of poetry called Espaa en el cora"n '.#pain in 8y Geart.)- NerudaOs ,ife and child moved to 8onte "arlo1 he ,as never to see either of them again- @fter leaving his ,ife, he too4 up full time ,ith del "arril in BranceBollo,ing the election in 19%K of !resident !edro @guirre "erda, ,hom Neruda supported, he ,as appointed special consul for #panish emigration in !aris- Fhere Neruda ,as given responsi$ility for ,hat he called .the no$lest mission 5 have ever underta4en.: shipping 2,000 #panish refugees, ,ho had $een housed $y the Brench in s:ualid camps, to "hile on an old $oat called the #innipeg- Neruda is sometimes charged ,ith only selecting "ommunists for emigration ,hile eCcluding others ,ho had fought on the side of the Repu$lic;citation needed<1 others deny these accusations, pointing out that Neruda chose only a fe, hundred of the refugees personally1 the rest ,ere selected $y the #ervice for the Avacuation of #panish Refugees, set up $y Juan Negrn, president of the #panish Repu$lican governmentLinLeCile-

Mexico
Neruda/s neCt diplomatic post ,as as "onsul 7eneral in 8eCico "ity, ,here he spent the years 19 0 to 19 %- 3hile in 8eCico, he divorced Gagenaar, married del "arril, and learned that his daughter had died, age eight, in Na0iLoccupied Netherlands from various health pro$lems- Ge also $ecame a friend of the #talinist assassin 2ittorio 2idali ;2<@fter the failed 19 0 assassination attempt against 6eon Frots4y, Neruda arranged a "hilean visa for the 8eCican painter *avid @lfaro #i:ueiros ,ho ,as accused of having $een one of the conspirators- Neruda later said he did it at the re:uest of 8eCican !resident 8anuel Pvila "amacho- Fhis ena$led #i:ueiros, then Mailed, to leave 8eCico for "hile, ,here he stayed at Neruda/s private residence- 5n eCchange for Neruda/s assistance, #i:ueiros spent over a year painting a mural in a school in "hill9n- Neruda/s relationship ,ith #i:ueiros attracted criticism and Neruda dismissed the allegations that his intent had $een to help an assassin as .sensationalist politicoLliterary harassment.- 5n 8eCico, !a$lo Neruda met the famous 8eCican ,riter =ctavio !a0 ,here he nearly came to $lo,s in 19 2-

Return to Chile
5n 19 %, follo,ing his return to "hile, Neruda made a tour of !eru, ,here he visited 8achu !icchu- Fhe austere $eauty of the 5nca citadel later inspired $lturas de Macc%u Picc%u, a $oo4Llength poem in t,elve parts ,hich he completed in 19 > and ,hich mar4ed a gro,ing a,areness and interest in the ancient civili0ations of the @mericas: themes he ,as to eCplore further in Canto &eneral- 5n this ,or4, Neruda cele$rated the achievement of 8achu !icchu, $ut also condemned the slavery ,hich had made it possi$le- 5n the "anto Q55, he called upon the dead of many centuries to $e $orn again

and to spea4 through him- 8artin Aspada, poet and professor of creative ,riting at the Nniversity of 8assachusetts, has hailed the ,or4 as a masterpiece, declaring that .there is no greater political poem.-

Neruda and Stalinism

Bolstered $y his eCperiences in the #panish "ivil 3ar, Neruda, li4e many leftLleaning intellectuals of his generation, came to admire the #oviet Nnion of Joseph #talin, partly for the role it played in defeating Na0i 7ermany 'poems Canto a Stalingrado '19 2) and 'uevo canto de amor a Stalingrado '19 %))- 5n 19>% Neruda ,as a,arded the #talin !eace !ri0e- =n #talin/s death that same year, Neruda ,rote an ode to him, as he also 'during 3orld 3ar 55) ,rote praise of Bulgencio Batista 'Saludo a (atista, i-e Salute to (atista) and later of Bidel "astro ;%<Gis fervent #talinism eventually drove a ,edge $et,een Neruda and longtime friend =ctavio !a0 ,ho commented that .'eruda )ecame more and more Stalinist! w%ile * )ecame less and less enc%anted wit% Stalin.- Fheir differences came to a head after the 19%9 Na0iL#oviet Ri$$entropL8olotov !act ,hen they almost came to $lo,s in an argument over #talin- @lthough !a0 still considered Neruda .t%e greatest poet of %is generation., in an essay on @le4sandr #ol0henitsyn he ,rote that ,hen he
thin4s of R Neruda and other famous #talinist ,riters 5 feel the gooseflesh that 5 get from reading certain passages of *anteOs 5nferno- No dou$t they $egan in good faith, $ut insensi$ly, commitment $y commitment, they sa, themselves $ecoming entangled in a mesh of lies, falsehoods, deceits and perMuries, until they lost their souls-

Neruda called 6enin the .great genius of this century.- @nother speech 'June >, 19 () is a tri$ute to the late #oviet leader 8i4hail Salinin, ,ho for Neruda ,as .man of no$le life., .the great constructor of the future., .a comrade of arms of 6enin and #talin.- ; < Neruda later came to rue his support of the #oviet leader1 after Ni4ita Shrushchev/s famous #ecret #peech 20th !arty "ongress in 19>(, in ,hich he denounced the .cult of personality. that surrounded #talin and accused him of committing crimes during the 7reat !urges, Neruda ,rote in his memoirs .5 had contri$uted to my share to the personality cult,. eCplaining that .in those days, #talin seemed to us the con:ueror ,ho had crushed Gitler/s armies.- =f a su$se:uent visit to "hina in 19>&, Neruda ,ould later ,rite: .3hat has estranged me from the "hinese revolutionary process has not $een 8ao FseLtung $ut 8ao FseLtungism., ,hich he du$$ed 8ao FseL#talinism: .the repetition of a cult of a #ocialist deity.- Go,ever, despite his disillusionment ,ith #talin, Neruda never lost his essential faith in communism and remained loyal to .the !arty.- @nCious not to give ammunition to his ideological enemies, he ,ould later refuse pu$licly to condemn the #oviet repression of dissident ,riters li4e Boris !asterna4 and Joseph Brods4y: an attitude ,ith ,hich even some of his staunchest admirers disagreed-

Senator
=n 8arch , 19 > Neruda ,as elected a "ommunist party senator for the northern provinces of @ntofagasta and Farapac9 in the arid and inhospita$le @tacama *esert- Ge officially Moined the "ommunist !arty of "hile four months later5n 19 (, Radical !arty presidential candidate 7a$riel 7on09le0 2idela as4ed Neruda to act as his campaign manager- 7on09le0 2idela ,as supported $y a coalition of leftL,ing parties and Neruda fervently campaigned on his $ehalf- =nce in office, ho,ever, 7on09le0 2idela turned against the "ommunist !arty- Fhe $rea4ing point for #enator Neruda ,as the violent repression of a "ommunistLled miners/ stri4e in 6ota in =cto$er 19 &, ,here stri4ing ,or4ers ,ere herded into island military prisons and a concentration camp in the to,n of !isagua- Neruda/s criticism of 7on09le0 2idela culminated in a dramatic speech in the "hilean senate on ( January 19 K called +o acuso '.5 accuse.), in the course of ,hich he read out the names of the miners and their families ,ho ,ere imprisoned at the concentration camp-

Exile
@ fe, ,ee4s later, Neruda ,ent into hiding and he and his ,ife ,ere smuggled from house to house, hidden $y supporters and admirers for the neCt thirteen months- 3hile in hiding, #enator Neruda ,as removed from office and in #eptem$er 19 K the "ommunist !arty ,as $anned altogether under the Ley de Defensa Permanente de la Democracia '6a, for the !ermanent *efense of *emocracy), called $y critics the Ley Maldita '.@ccursed 6a,.), ,hich eliminated over 2(,000 people from the electoral registers, thus stripping them of their right to vote- Neruda moved later to 2aldivia in southern "hileNeruda/s life underground ended in 8arch 19 9 ,hen he fled over the 6ilpela !ass on the @ndes 8ountains to @rgentina on horse$ac4- Ge ,ould dramatically recount his escape from "hile in his No$el !ri0e lecture=nce out of "hile, he spent the neCt three years in eCile- 5n Buenos @ires a friend of Neruda, the future No$el ,inner and novelist 8iguel Pngel @sturias, ,as cultural attachE to the 7uatemalan em$assy- Fhere ,as some slight resem$lance $et,een the t,o men, so Neruda ,ent to Aurope using @sturias/s passport- !a$lo !icasso arranged his entrance into !aris;citation needed< and Neruda made a surprise appearance there to a stunned 3orld "ongress of !eace Borces, the "hilean government mean,hile denying;citation needed< that the poet could have escaped the countryNeruda spent those three years traveling eCtensively throughout Aurope as ,ell as ta4ing trips to 5ndia, "hina,#ri 6an4a and the #oviet Nnion- Gis trip to 8eCico in late 19 9 ,as lengthened due to a serious $out of phle$itis- @ "hilean singer named 8atilde Nrrutia ,as hired to care for him and they $egan an affair that ,ould, years later, culminate in marriage- *uring his eCile,Nrrutia ,ould travel from country to country shado,ing him and they ,ould arrange meetings ,henever they could- 8atilde Nrrutia ,as the muse for .6os versos del "apit9n., ,hich he later pu$lished anonymously in 19>2-

3hile in 8eCico Neruda also pu$lished his lengthy epic poem Canto &eneral, a 3hitmanes:ue catalog of the history, geography, and flora and fauna of #outh @merica, accompanied $y Neruda/s o$servations and eCperiences- 8any of them dealt ,ith his time underground in "hile, ,hich is ,hen he composed much of the poem- 5n fact, he had carried the manuscript ,ith him on his escape on horse$ac4- @ month later, a different edition of five thousand copies ,as $oldly pu$lished in "hile $y the outla,ed "ommunist !arty $ased on a manuscript Neruda had left $ehind- 5n 8eCico, he ,as granted honorary 8eCican citi0enshipGis 19>2 stay in a villa o,ned $y 5talian historian Ad,in "erio on the island of "apri ,as fictionali0ed in the popular film *l Postino '.Fhe !ostman., 199 )-

Return to Chile
By 19>2, the 7on09le0L2idela government ,as on its last legs, ,ea4ened $y corruption scandals- Fhe "hilean #ocialist !arty ,as in the process of nominating #alvador @llende as its candidate for the #eptem$er 19>2 presidential elections and ,as 4een to have the presence of NerudaT$y no, "hile/s most prominent leftL,ing literary figureTto support the campaignNeruda returned in @ugust of that year and reMoined *elia del "arril, ,ho had traveled ahead of him some months earlier, $ut the marriage ,as crum$ling- *el "arril eventually learned of his torrid affair ,ith 8atilde Nrrutia and left him in 19>>, moving $ac4 to Aurope- No, united ,ith Nrrutia, Neruda ,ould spend the rest of his life in "hile, many foreign trips not,ithstanding and a stint as @llende/s am$assador to Brance from 19&0 to 19&%By this time, Neruda enMoyed ,orld,ide fame as a poet, and his $oo4s ,ere $eing translated into virtually all the maMor languages of the ,orld- Ge ,as also vocal on political issues, vigorously denouncing the N-#- during the "u$an missile crisis 'later in the decade he ,ould li4e,ise repeatedly condemn the N-#- for the 2ietnam 3ar)- But $eing one of the most prestigious and outspo4en left,ing intellectuals alive also attracted opposition from ideological opponents- Fhe "ongress for "ultural Breedom, an antiL communist organi0ation covertly esta$lished and funded $y the N-#- "entral 5ntelligence @gency, adopted Neruda as one of its primary targets and launched a campaign to undermine his reputation, reviving the old claim he had $een an accomplice in the attac4 on Frots4y in 8eCico "ity in 19 0;citation needed<- Fhe campaign $ecame more intense ,hen it $ecame 4no,n that Neruda ,as a candidate for the 19( No$el pri0e, ,hich ,as eventually a,arded to JeanL!aul #artre-

Neruda recording his poetry at the N-#- 6i$rary of "ongress in 19((5n 19((, Neruda ,as invited to attend an 5nternational !AN conference in Ne, Dor4 "ity- =fficially, he ,as $arred from entering the N-#- $ecause he ,as a communist, $ut

the conference organi0er, play,right @rthur 8iller, eventually prevailed upon the Johnson @dministration to grant Neruda a visa- Neruda gave readings to pac4ed halls, and even recorded some poems for the 6i$rary of "ongress- 8iller later opined that Neruda/s adherence to his communist ideals of the 19%0s ,as a result of his protracted eCclusion from .$ourgeois society.- *ue to the presence of many Aast Bloc ,riters, 8eCican ,riter "arlos Buentes later ,rote that the !AN conference mar4ed a .$eginning of the end. of the "old 3ar-

6a #e$astiana, Neruda/s house in 2alparasoNpon Neruda/s return to "hile, he stopped off in !eru, ,here he gave readings to enthusiastic cro,ds in 6ima and @re:uipa and ,as received $y !resident Bernando BelaUnde Ferry- Go,ever, the visit prompted an unpleasant $ac4lash- Fhe !eruvian government had come out against the government in "u$a of Bidel "astro, and in July 19(( retaliation against Neruda came in the form of a letter signed $y more than one hundred "u$an intellectuals ,ho charged Neruda ,ith colluding ,ith the enemy, and called him an eCample of the .tepid, proLDan4ee revisionism. then prevalent in 6atin @merica- Fhe affair ,as particularly painful for Neruda $ecause of his previous outspo4en support for the "u$an revolution, and he never visited the island again, even after an invitation in 19(K@fter the death of "he 7uevara in Bolivia in 19(&, Neruda ,rote several articles regretting the loss of a .great hero.-;citation needed< @t the same time, he told his friend @ida Bigueroa not to cry for "he, $ut for 6uis Amilio Reca$arren, the father of the "hilean communist movement, ,ho preached a pacifist revolution over "he/s violent ,ays-; < 6a "hascona, Neruda/s house in #antiago-

Final years
5n 19&0, Neruda ,as nominated as a candidate for the "hilean presidency, $ut ended up giving his support to #alvador @llende, ,ho later ,on the election and ,as inaugurated in 19&0 as the first democratically elected socialist head of state- #hortly thereafter, @llende appointed Neruda the "hilean am$assador to Brance 'lasting from 19&0L19&21 his final diplomatic posting)- Neruda returned to "hile t,o and half years later due to failing health5n 19&1, having sought the pri0e for years, Neruda ,as finally a,arded the No$el !ri0eFhis decision did not come easily, as some of the committee mem$ers had not forgotten Neruda/s past praise of #talinist dictatorship- But his #,edish translator, @rtur 6und4vist, did his $est to ensure the "hilean the pri0e-;><

5nside .6a #e$astiana., home of !a$lo Neruda in 2alparaso @s the distur$ances of 19&% unfolded, Neruda, then terminally ill ,ith prostate cancer, ,as devastated $y the mounting attac4s on the @llende government- Fhe military coup led $y 7eneral @ugusto !inochet on 11 #eptem$er sa, Neruda/s hopes for a marCist "hile destroyed- #hortly thereafter, during a search of the house and grounds at 5sla Negra $y "hilean armed forces at ,hich he ,as present, Neruda famously remar4ed:

6oo4 aroundTthere/s only one thing of danger for you hereT poetry-

Neruda died of heart failure on the evening of #eptem$er 2%, 19&%, at #antiago/s #anta 8ara "linic-;(<;&<;K< Fhe funeral too4 place amidst a massive police presence, and mourners too4 advantage of the occasion to protest against the ne, regime, esta$lished Must a couple of ,ee4s $efore"asa la 5sla Negra, Neruda/s third home in "hile 8atilde Nrrutia su$se:uently compiled and edited for pu$lication the memoirs that Neruda had $een ,or4ing on Must days prior to his death including, possi$ly his final poem /Right "omrade, 5t/s the Gour of the 7arden/- Fhese and other activities $rought her into conflict ,ith !inochet/s government, ,hich continually sought to curtail Neruda/s influence on the "hilean collective consciousness- Nrrutia/s o,n memoir, My Life wit% Pa)lo 'eruda, ,as pu$lished posthumously in 19K(Neruda o,ned three houses in "hile1 today they are all open to the pu$lic as museums: 6a "hascona in #antiago, 6a #e$astiana in 2alparaso, and "asa de 5sla Negra in 5sla Negra, ,here he and 8atilde Nrrutia are $uried-

Le acy

@n edition of Neruda/s ,n t%e (lue S%ore of Silence ,as printed in honor of the poet/s 100th $irthday in 200 - Fhe $oo4 featured translations of Neruda/s original poems $y #cottish poet @lastair Reid and original paintings from artist 8ary Gee$ner/s series Laguna SaladaNeruda al,ays ,rote in green in4 $ecause it ,as the color of Asperan0a 'hope)5n Fhe #impsons, !a$lo is referred to in the :uote: '6isa: Gmm- !a$lo Neruda said .6aughter is the language of the soul-. Bart: 5 am familiar ,ith the ,or4s of !a$lo Neruda) Neruda ,as good friends ,ith 2ene0uelan intellectuals and diplomats, such as @rturo Nslar !ietri, Juan =rope0a and 8iguel =tero #ilva5n the 5talian film *l Postino, !a$lo Neruda, portrayed $y !hilippe Noiret, $efriends a postman and inspires in him a love of poetryNeruda is mentioned $riefly in .An Al Nltimo 6ugar *el 8undo,. a song $y Ricardo 8ontaner-

@ $ust of Neruda stands on the south side of the =rgani0ation of @merican #tates $uilding in 3ashington *-"Fhe #outh @frican musician Johnny "legg dre, heavily on Neruda in his early ,or4 ,ith the $and Julu4aNeruda is referred to fre:uently as .Fhe !oet. in the novel T%e -ouse of t%e Spirits $y 5sa$el @llende- =ne character, "lara .the "larivoyant. Frue$a, is said to have helped him in his rise to fame and another mem$er of the Frue$a family later attends his funeral7ree4 composer 8i4is Fheodora4is set to music the famous ."anto 7eneral. 'one of the most famous poems $y Neruda) ,hen he ,as eCiled from his homeland $y the dictatorship in 7reece '19(&L19& )- 5t/s a very ,ellL4no,n and popular musical ,or4 in $oth countries '"hile and 7reece)- Fhe ,orld premiere of this music ,or4 occurred in @thens, 7reece in 19&>- =ver 12>,000 attended this concert- Fheodora4is has visited "hile many times and had the opportunity to present ."anto 7eneral. in concerts in #antiago.Neruda #ongs,. a classical and operatic cycle $ased on five of Neruda/s love poems, received the V200,000 Nniversity of 6ouisville/s 7ra,emeyer @,ard for 8usical "omposition- Fhe composer, !eter 6ie$erson, dedicated the music to his ,ife, me00oLsoprano 6orraine Gunt 6ie$erson, ,ho performed the music eCemplifying ,hat Neruda referred to as .the arc of love. at its ,orld premiere@ documentary film is in production on Neruda/s life, times, and poetry, Pa)lo 'eruda. T%e Poet/s Calling, directed $y 8eCican director "arlos Bolado and 8ar4 Aisner, narrated $y singerJsong,riter #u0anne 2ega5n 200K the ,riter Ro$erto @mpuero pu$lished a fictional novel El caso 'eruda, a$out his private eye "ayetano BrulE, ,here !a$lo Neruda is one of the protagonists-;9<

See also

"ien #onetos de @mor

Further readin
Englis%

!a$lo Neruda, #elected !oems, ed- 5lan #tavans '200%)Franslating Neruda: Fhe 3ay to 8acchu !icchu, $y John Belstiner '19K0) !a$lo Neruda J *ur9n, 8anuel-, 19K1 !a$lo Neruda: Fhe #ecrets of the "hilean !oet and *iplomat, 19K1 !a$lo Neruda: all poets the poet J Bi00arro, #alvatore-, 19&9 Fhe poetry of !a$lo Neruda J "osta, RenE de-, 19&9 !a$lo Neruda: 8emoirs '"onfieso :ue he vivido: 8emorias) J tr- #t- 8artin, Gardie-, 19&& Fhe Assential Neruda J ed- 8ar4 Aisner, intro $y 6a,rence Berlinghetti '"ity 6ights), 200

!a0 and Neruda: @ "lash of 6iterary FitansJ @mericas 8aga0ine, July 200KJ Jaime !erales "ontreras;><J

Spanis%/ /W!a0 y Neruda: Gistoria de una amistadJJaime !erales "ontreras-,200K- Revista @mEricas, '=rgani0aciXn de los Astados @mericanos), Mulio 200K

!a$lo Neruda en "u$a y "u$a en !a$lo Neruda J @ngel 5 @ugier-, 200> Neruda por #49rmeta J @ntonio #49rmeta-, 200 Neruda, memoria crepitante J 2irginia 2idal-, 200% 2oy a vivirme : variaciones y complementos nerudianos J 2olodia Feitel$oim-, 199K Neruda y @rauco J 8aria 8aluenda-, 199K !ara leer a Neruda J Gugo 8ontes-, 199& Neruda y la muMer J Berna !Ere0 de Burrell-, 199% !ara leer a !a$lo Neruda J JosE "arlos Rovira-, 1991 Neruda, vo0 y universo J 8ario Berrero-, 19KK Neruda total J Aulogio #u9re0-, 19KK Nuevas aproCimaciones a !a$lo Neruda J @ngel Blores-, 19K& Neruda : un hom$re de la @raucania J Rafael @guayo-, 19K& @sturias y Neruda : cuatro estudios para dos poetas J 7iuseppe Favani-, 19K> Neruda, 10 aYos despuEs J Bloridor !Ere0-, 19K% Al pensamiento poEtico de !a$lo Neruda J @lain #icard-, 19K1 !oesa y estilo de !a$lo Neruda J @mado @lonso-, 19&9 8i pe:ueYa historia de !a$lo Neruda J @rturo @ldunate !hillips-, 19&9 "onocer Neruda y su o$ra J @l$erto "oustE-, 19&9 6a poesa de Neruda J 6uis Rosales-, 19&K !a$lo Neruda : naturale0a, historia y poEtica J Aduardo "amacho 7ui0ado-, 19&K Ril4e, !ound, Neruda : tres claves de la poesa contempor9nea J JosE 8iguel 5$9Ye0 6anglois-, 19&K !oesa y estilo de !a$lo Neruda : interpretaciXn de una poesa hermEtica J @mado @lonso-, 19&&

Notes
3i4i:uote has a collection of :uotations related to: Pablo Neruda
12%>(@ Reading in Gonor of !a$lo Neruda/s "entennial : N!R Neruda Z 6a vida del poeta Z "ronologa Z 19 +19>%, BundaciXn Neruda, Nniversity of "hile- @ccessed online 29 *ecem$er 200(3yman, Ava 7oldschmidt 3yman1 Buentes, [urita Garris, 2ictoria Bran4el 8ontealegre, Jorge '*ecem$er 2002)- T%e Poets and T%e &eneral. C%ile/s Voices ,f Dissent 0nder $ugusto Pinoc%et- 6om Adiciones- p- 1K.!a$lo Neruda: Fhe !oet/s "alling 'http:JJ,,,-redpoppy-netJpa$lo\neruda-php). http:JJ,,,-,ee4lystandard-comJNtilitiesJprinter\previe,-asp]id@rticle^ %2K @ critical revie, .!a$lo Neruda, No$el !oet, *ies in a "hilean Gospital., T%e 'ew +or1 Times, #eptem$er 2 , 19&%-

&-

'eruda and Valle2o. Selected Poems, Ro$ert Bly, ed-1 Beacon !ress, Boston, 199%, pCiiKEart%3S%attering Poems, 6i0 Rosen$erg, ed-1 Genry Golt, Ne, Dor4, 199K, p- 10>9=fficial site of Al caso Neruda a novel $y Ro$erto @mpuero

[edit] Re!erences

Jaime !erales "ontreras, . !a0 and Neruda: @ "lash of 6iterary Fitans., @mericas 8aga0ine,'=rgani0ation of @merican #tates)- July 200K@dam Beinstein, Pa)lo 'eruda. $ Passion for Life, Blooms$ury, 200 - '5#BN 1L >K2% L 10LK) !a$lo Neruda, Memoirs 'translation of Confieso 4ue %e vivido. Memorias), translated $y Gardie #t- 8artin, Barrar, #traus, and 7irouC, 19&&- '1991 edition is 5#BN 0L%& L20((0L0) Neruda is one of the people toasted to in the song .6a 2ie Boheme. from the FonyL,inning roc4 opera RANF!a$lo Neruda: Passion! Poetry! Politics 5#BN 9&KL0L&((0L29((LK ;(<

[edit] External lin"s

Pablo Neruda: A People's Poet

By !" #an $uan% $r"

clic& 'ere for related stories( socialis)

;Aditor/s note: @n eCcerpt of this article appears in the January print edition of !olitical @ffairs-<

!@B6= NARN*@ B=R N#: @n 5ntervention

5t is a rare pleasure and honor to $e as4ed to intervene in this unrepeata$le occasion + the centennial anniversary of !a$lo NerudaOs $irth + in a site convulsed $y revolutionary upheavals- @ pleasure not only $ecause Neruda, to :uote 7a$riel 7arcia 8ar:ue0, is .the greatest poet of the 20th century, in any language-. @n honor $ecause he ,as also a communist artist- But more than $eing the finest poet and a communist militant, he ,as one of the most useful for the .conscienti0ation. 'to use !aulo BreireOs term) of at least t,o generations of Bilipino intellectuals and activists- 8ore significant, this event is happening in the !hilippines, and particularly here in the Nniversity of the !hilippines, *iliman, $irthplace of the unprecedented Birst _uarter #torm that eCploded on the eve of the infamous martialLla, regime of the N-#-L8arcos colla$orationNeruda is not a stranger to Bilipinos precisely on account of that terri$le convulsion and catalyst called the N-#-L8arcos dictatorship from 19&2 to 19K(- 3e, partisans in the

$rigade of cultural ,or4ers, found Neruda useful for ma4ing sense of reality + the reality of colonialism, poverty, oppression, fascist violence, inMustice, and suffering that Neruda descanted from his early 2einte poemas de amor y una cancion desesperada '192 ) to ACtravagarios '19>K) and the formida$le 8emorial de 5sla Negra '19((L&0)- 3e found Neruda of service for ma4ing intelligi$le, even $eara$le, that fierce solitude of underground eCile, imprisonment, and desperate ostracism for ,hich the only remedy 'given the models of perseverance in the three volumes of Residencia en la Fierra) is fraternity, collective struggle, intransigent sacrifice- 5t ,as $oth serendipitous and fortuitous@llo, me to delineate the genealogy of this usefulness and servicea$ility- Brom 192&L%>, Neruda served as unsalaried consul to Burma, "eylon, Java, #ingapore, and else,here=ne can speculate on the pro$a$ility of his visit to the !hilippines, that land 'according to the annals of the Fang dynasty in "hina) .fittingly inha$ited $y sna4es and savages-. 5n his memoirs, he eCpresses identification ,ith the travails and resistance of diverse @sian peoples- Fhis empathy found its seductive mimesis in that classic of antiLromantic surrealism, the first cycle of Residencia en la Fierra '19%%), right in the midst of the glo$al crisis of finance capitalism, the last stage of imperialism 'in 6eninOs definition)- 5n this, as in all his ,or4s, Neruda shares 3alter BenMaminOs prophetic Mudgment that every ,or4 of art is $oth a document of civili0ation and of $ar$arism- 3hether you li4e it or not, one cannot escape $eing tried and Mudged in the cruci$le of the disasters and crises of our timeBoth $ar$aric and civili0ed forces traverse the la$yrinthine narratives of NerudaOs poetry as it evolved from the t,enties to the middle of the century- 5ntracta$le paths are inscri$ed in the traMectory of his imagination- 3as the o$scure, $e,ildering style of the early Neruda an escape from the tragic predicament of "hilean society] 3as he a fugitive from eCistential anguish and alienation cele$rated $y Niet0sche, Geidegger and their cult of nihilist relativism] Neruda sta4ed out a peculiar itinerary, enigmatic $ut logical, in its historical situatedness- Bet,een the romantic eCu$erance of his "repusculario '192%) and the poignant lyricism of 2einte poemas, $et,een the monumental epic s,eep of "anto general '19>0), the rigorous selfLrefleCion in Fercera Residencia '19%>L &) and the disarming simplicity of =das elementales '19> L>9), ,e find Neruda descending + li4e *ante in 6a divina commedia, into the infernal ,asteland- Fhe critic 6uis 8onguio captures NerudaOs inscription into the historical .thic4ness. of this cultural maelstrom $et,een the .,ars. ,hose climaC ,as the materialist vision of the heights of 8acchu !icchu in "anto general '19(11 on NerudaOs .moral realism,. see the insightful essay $y 7reg *a,es 200%)5t ,as as if Neruda anticipated the searing vision of @ntonio 7ramsci, his 5talian contemporary, ,ho in a ,ay provided the ethical and aesthetic rationale for radical anticapitalist surrealism- 7ramsci o$served that in the interregnum, that volatile noLmanOs land, $et,een a decadent crum$ling ,orld and another painfully struggling to $e $orn, ,e encounter the most dreadful mor$id symptoms of humans struggling to survive- 3e encounter ,ild eCcesses, strange transformations, perverse and monstrous happenings + all these spectacular or impercepti$le occurrences faithfully chronicled in the .magic

realism. of 7arcia 8ar:ue0, @leMo "arpentier ',ho coined the term .lo real maravilloso.), the surrealist and eCpressionist eCperiments of "esar 2alleMo, @ndre Breton, James Joyce, Bran0 Saf4a and other avantLgarde guerillas of the last centuryFhis is eCplaina$le as a revolt against the lifeLdenying repressiveness of capitalist society and as a symptom of frustration, hopelessness, despairFhe early Neruda may $e selfLindulgent, li4e the .Aurophile cadavers. he scorned in his later years- But in his engagement ,ith the political crisis of his epoch, he succeeded in forging the .conscience. of his race 'to echo the hero of JoyceOs @ !ortrait of the @rtist as a Doung 8an) through the critical and fantastic realism of his vocation as citi0enLartist caught $et,een t,o ,orlds- Fhis is the Neruda ,e might consider eCemplary3e in the !hilippines, and millions in the $eleaguered .third ,orld. 'no, 4no,n as the peripheral #outh to the metropolitan North) found insight and catharsis in NerudaOs ,restling ,ith the mystifying demons of capital and its comprador eCecutioners- =f course, Neruda ,as not the only one ,e read, $ut he ,as one of the more eCceptionally lucid and provocative- Fhis episode of NerudaOs $ohemian individualism soon ended + not yet ,ith the martial la, of 7eneral @ugusto !inochet 'no, on trial for his crimes), $ut ,ith a $enchmar4 event of modernity: the civil ,ar in #pain in 19%(L19%K- Fhis ,as the decisive $rea4, the turning point, for Neruda, Must as the 8arcos dictatorship ,as for progressive Bilipino intellectuals of my generation and the neCt- Brom this perspective, Neruda helped us ma4e sense of that 4ey moment in our national life, affording us a taste of agency ,hen the gate4eepers of history nodded and allo,ed us to ta4e a measure of control even in the role of victims and eCiles- @nd this $rea4 in the :uotidian routine of neocolonialism has closed, opened, narro,ed, ,idened, in the momentous years follo,ing Be$ruary 19K(, .the people po,er. insurrection ,hich overthre, 8arcos, Astrada, and no, threatens the present incum$ent in 8alacanang !alace*uring the "old 3ar, in spite of the prestigious No$el !ri0e, Neruda had $een reviled for his communist militancy- Fhis dates $ac4 to his commitment to revolution in the thirties ,hen he sided ,ith the Repu$lican forces in #pain, a turn often ignored, marginali0ed, or glossed over, $y scholars and revie,ers- NerudaOs partisanship ,ith the #oviet Nnion and the Repu$lican cause, ,ith the camp of Bederico 7arcia 6orca, Rafael @l$erti, 8iguel Gernande0 and other fighters for socialism, against fascist nihilism 'allied ,ith Gitler and 8ussolini and a deathL,orshipping "atholic "hurch that fully supported 7eneralissimo Branco), all contri$uted to the transformation of the neoromantic Neruda into a poet of universal import, the $ard of secular grace and materialist redemption- 5t ,as not a transformation $ut a metamorphosis since old elements of $aro:ue ,it ,ere su$lated, $y a dialectical sleightLofLhand, into the ironic and comic conceits of 5ncitacion al NiConicidio y ala$an0a del revolucion chilena '19&1)- 5n this he resem$led the !eruvian "esar 2alleMo ,hose !oemas Gumanos and Aspana, aparta de mi este cali0, ,ritten $et,een 19%( and 19%K, testify to the same praCis of compassionate sharing and communal struggle3e can say ,ith conviction that the poet of Aspana en el cora0on '19%&) ,as the Neruda ,e read and translated then, the $ard ,ho spo4e truth to po,er, the poet of devotion to

the revolutionary ideals of the oppressed $ut insurgent community of peasants, ,or4ers, indigenous communities, and middle elements- 5t ,as a meeting of comrades engaged in a common struggle- !oetry $ecame a mode of social action and communication, achieving NerudaOs desire to .,rite ,ith your life and my o,n-. Neruda himself attested to ,hat his engagement in the #panish "ivil 3ar contri$uted to his gro,th: it helped him understand more, $e more natural, and a$ove all .live more near the people. '19&1, 1(2)=ur enMoyment of NerudaOs art, then, ,as strategic, for pedagogical and programmatic reasons- Fhis education of the senses + a production of social eCistence, as 8arC stressed in Aconomic and !hilosophical 8anuscripts of 1K '19( ) + ,as mediated $y the practices of everyday resistance, condensed in art, love, scientific in:uiry and political mo$ili0ation- 5n this ,ay, the sensory faculties $ecome practical .theoreticians,. de$un4ers of ideologies- 3e find the entire history of feelings crystalli0ed in every phantasy or intuition that condenses the ,hole societyOs dream of release, fulfillment and happiness amid hunger, torture, eCploitation and death, the dream of freedom through the ordeal of physical and historical necessities '"aud,ell 19%&)3e find a confirmation of this thesis in NerudaOs proMect for an antipoetic strategy, .Fo,ard an 5mpure !oetry,. targetting the elite aestheticism of 3allace #tevens, Juan Ramon Jimene0, =ctavio !a0, and others: .6et that $e the poetry ,e search for: ,orn ,ith the handOs o$ligations, as $y acids, steeped in s,eat and in smo4e, smelling of lilies and urine, spattered diversely $y the trades that ,e live $y, inside the la, or $eyond it. 'Neruda 19(1, %9)- But this is not naive empiricism or vulgar pragmatism- 3hat Neruda accomplished in this .impure. craft is the discovery of .anticipatory illumination,. or, in Arnst BlochOs ,ords, the 8arCist poet .ma4es the ,orld $ecome a,are of an accelerated flo, of action, an elucidated ,a4ing dream of the essential. '199(, KK)- 5n the artistic dreamL,or4, a$sence and presence are articulated in a productive synthesis- Rene Jara calls NerudaOs :uest for the presence of ,hat is a$sent, that call for a more intense life, the 4ey to the principle of composition in his maMor ,or4s: .Fhe ,orld ta4es on form through a mechanism of contiguities and displacements that arises from the polyvalence of ,orlds and the constitution of an alternate sym$olic process that springs from a preconscious figurative plane prior to the semantics of definition. '1992, 1 9)3hen Neruda $ecame a "ommunist senator in the "hilean parliament, he had to disavo, sectarian ultraLleftism and fight for the democratic rights of all the people + not Must ,or4ers or peasants- Ge 4ne, the lessons of 6eninOs ,arning against .leftL,ing infantilism-. 5n his 5ncitement to NiConicide and !raise for the "hilean Revolution, Neruda reMected the .mystical hermeticism. of his previous ,or4 $y assuming the office of the peopleOs tri$une: .5 reserve, as an eCperienced mechanic, my eCperimental office: 5 must $e, from time to time, a poet of pu$lic use, that is to say, 5 must give the $ra4eman, ste,ard, foreman, farmer, gasfitter, or the simple regimental fool the capa$ility of cutting loose ,ith a clean punch or shooting flames out of his ears. '19&%, >L()- 5ndeed NerudaOs desire is to $e the $ardic ,itness of the people, the organic intellectual of the la$oring masses6et us invo4e our o,n @mado 2- Gernande0, one of the fe, Bilipino ,riters of the preL ,ar generation, ,ho not only translated Neruda $ut also imitated his materialist approach

to ordinary things- Gernande0 dre, inspiration from NerudaOs love for :uotidian reality: ,atermelon, articho4e, dictionary, onions, animals, and so on- 5t ,as a cele$ration of everyday life $efore glo$al consumerism had reduced everything to goods for sale or fetishi0ed simulacras- 5t ,as this homage to the sensuous teCture of ,orldly life that appealed to the young re$ellious spirits of the Birst _uarter #torm and the nationalist movement that preceded it- 5t ,as not so much the melancholy aestheticism of the 2einte poemas and the early Residencia that fascinated us1 rather, it ,as the ,or4s that defied the .insurmounta$le solitude. of 6atin @merica and, from the heights of 8acchu !icchu, sought to recover the indigenous, a$original creativity of the millions su$Mugated $y the ruthless glories of the Auropean, @ngloL#aCon .civili0ing mission-. =ne ,onders at the stri4ing affinities $et,een the lives of Neruda and the Bilipino socialist re$el- Gernande0 follo,ed an analogous path in his transcendence of the genteel tradition via a passage through la$or union activism and his partisanship for the Gu4 uprising- Gernande0Os underground eCperience during the Japanese occupation, and his persecution $y the neocolonial state, paralleled NerudaOs eCile, his return to "hile in 19 %, and his su$se:uent political engagement as a mem$er of the "ommunist !arty of "hile- 6i4e Neruda, Gernande0 valued the creative process of ,or4, everyday la$or interacting ,ith mundane o$Mects and places, humani0ing the environment and caring for the no, endangered ecology of our planet- 5n Be$ruary 19 K, Neruda escaped from military violence, crossing the @ndes mountains ,ith the manuscript of his masterpiece, "anto general, rescued in his saddle$ag- Ge had lived an underground life from 19 & to 19 9, only to emerge into eCile until 19>2- "ountless .third ,orld. ,ritersO lives + one recalls here the Senyan Ngugi 3a FhiongOo, the 5ndonesian !ramoedya @nanta Foer, the Fur4ish Na0im Gi4met, and many others + find an allegorical mirror in NerudaOs vocation and its articulations- Bor our part, ,e found in Neruda of the polemical 5ncitation '@ "all for the *estruction of NiCon) a logistical tool4it for the simple art of spea4ing the truth in defense of humanity, a calling that Ro$ert Bly '19&1), amid anticommunist hysteria, regards as NerudaOs lasting virtue- Gis relentless attac4 on N-#imperialism ,as a vo, of solidarity ,ith our struggle against that "old 3ar $ehemoth ,hich supplied ,eapons and diplomatic support to the state terror of the 8arcos regime ,hose $loodLde$ts are still unsettled up to no,- Neruda too4 sides, a protagonist in the drama of the continuing class struggle of our time + he chose life and the creative vitality of the people, all the su$Mugated and dispossessed, as ,ell as the indigenous survivors of imperial con:uest5n these dar4 days of terror in the Gomeland #ecurity #tate, $lessed $y the N#@ !atriot @ct, despite the rumored end of the "old 3ar, ,e find neoconservative scholars and even postcolonial critics praising Neruda the surrealist, the sophisticated humanist, the lover in the 199 film 5l !ostino- Avery persona or mas4 assumed $y Neruda, no matter ho, tactical or eCpedient, $ecomes aggrandi0ed and fetishi0ed- 3e can already discern this in Ben BelittOs '19&2) o$sessional pursuit of the .un4no,n Neruda,. protean and multiplicitous- No,adays, almost every :uality of the chameleonic poet $ecomes praise,orthy + eCcept the communist militant enamored of a classless future- 5ndeed the 8arCistL6eninist Neruda, ,inner of the #talin !ri0e, is anathemati0ed, demoni0ed, stigmati0ed- Ge is a curse to $e eCorci0ed $y distraction and triviali0ation- 5n his erudite

volume on Neruda, Rene de "osta '19&9) ,ould summon the figure of Neruda the flam$oyant tric4ster, the ver$al magician, ,hose performance eludes discursive criti:ueBut these reactionary ar$iters of taste cannot ,holly suppress the truth distilled in the homage paid $y the No$el !ri0e committee that, in 19&1, singled out NerudaOs art ,hose .elemental force $rings alive a continentOs destiny and dream-. Fhe allLencompassing mythopoeic reach of "anto general cannot $e deflected nor deconstructed into mystical aporias- Nor can the voice of the 19 K classic ode, .5 ,ish the ,oodcutter ,ould ,a4e up. '19K2) + read $y generations of @merican students + $e silenced, a 3hitmanes:ue hymn that resurrected the seemingly eclipsed presences of the multiethnic proletariat, of the @frican slave .,ho $rought you the music $orn in his country,. and the Native @merican ,arriors5n his addressing the heterogeneous multiethnic .peoples. of $oth north and south hemispheres of the @merican continent, Neruda seemed to have successfully translated into practice Senneth Bur4eOs ,ise $ut ignored counsel to the 19%> @merican 3ritersO "ongress- 5n the spirit of the !opular Bront, Bur4e proposed correctly that instead of the ,or4er, the sym$ol of the .people. $e used for an effective .propaganda $y inclusion. that ,ould engage the full allegiance of the vast maMority of citi0ens, including factory ,or4ers- 8indful of sectarian dogmatism and the profoundly seductive forms of alienation pervading $ourgeois life, Bur4eOs reason coincides ,ith NerudaOs concern for inclusiveness, transitions, mediations, lin4ages: .@nd since the sym$ol of `the peopleO contains connotations $oth of oppression and of unity, it seems $etter than the eCclusively proletarian one as a psychological $ridge for lin4ing the t,o conflicting aspects of a transitional, revolutionary era, ,hich is JanusLfaced, loo4ing $oth for,ard and $ac4. '199&, 2K0)- 6oo4ing $ac4,ard and for,ard, Neruda prophesied at the end of that utopian $ut realistic epic, "anto general: D nacera de nuevo esta pala$ra, tal ve0 en otro tiempo sin dolores, sin las impuras he$ras :ue adhirieron negras vegetaciones en mi canto, y otra ve0 en la altura estara ardiendo mi cora0on :uemante y estrellado;@nd this ,ord shall $e $orn again, perhaps in another time ,ithout suffering, ,ithout the impure offshoots that dar4 vegetation adhered to my canto, and once again in the heights my impassioned heart ,ill $e $urning and starry-< '"osta 19&9, 1&&) "ynical academics today dismiss communism as something that has allegedly lost .gravitas. '#tavans 200 )- NerudaOs communism, in my vie,, is ,hat underlies his protean, versatile and metamorphic art that Belitt, "osta and others cele$rate- 5t is identical to his fidelity to the vision of freedom and social li$eration from natural and manLmade historical necessity- 5t is not dictatorship nor totalitarian domination of the multitude condemned $y li$eral democrats ,orshipping the free mar4et, private property of productive means, consumerism and .free play. of the egoLcentered individual- 5t is

e:uivalent to NerudaOs vision of solidarity ,ith the $uilders of 8acchu !icchu, ,ith the toiling masses of the three continents that produced the accumulated ,ealth of modern society- 5n effect, it is em$lematic of revolutionary hope- 3e need to distinguish this signifier and its concept from the stra,Lfigure or caricature fa$ricated $y the apologists of N-#- imperial hu$ris3e may appeal to the poet Ro:ue *altonOs testimony to situate NerudaOs fundamental vocation: .Fhe revolutionary is, among other things, the person most useful to his epoch $ecause he lives to $ring a$out ends that signify the highest interests of humanity- Fhis holds true for the revolutionary poet + as revolutionary and as poet + in that, from the pu$lication of his first ,ord, he is addressing all people in defense of their o,n highest longings. '2002, 9)- @nd so it is precisely NerudaOs fidelity to the socialist goal of emancipation of the larger part of humanity from the tyranny of profit and commodity fetishism 'of ,hose insidious impact 8arC first ,arned us), from eCploitation $y alienated and alienating structures of class and race, that ma4es NerudaOs ,or4 pernanently useful and valua$le to Bilipinos and .third ,orld. peoples '#an Juan 199 )Fhis, 5 thin4, is the 4ernel of the essential Neruda"aught in the second front of the N-#- ,ar of terror against its victims, ,e find this com$ative Neruda a comrade in the antiLglo$ali0ation $attleLfront- Ge provides ,eapons that enlighten and sustain, necessary and pleasura$le instruments for the common good=n the ,hole, NerudaOs art represents a su$tle and passionate dialectical grappling ,ith the sensuous richness of nature and the $uilt environment- Fhe po,er of his poetic intuition derives from his political and civic responsi$ility, not only to "hileans $ut also to all humans sharing the same predicament of fighting for Mustice and popular li$eration, ,ith all its attendant dangers and opportunities- @s he affirmed in his No$el !ri0e speech, Gacia la ciudad esplendida 'an image inspired $y the Brench communard @rthur Rim$aud): @ll paths lead to the same goal: to convey to others ,hat ,e are- @nd ,e must pass through solitude and difficulty, isolation and silence, in order to reach forth to the enchanted place ,here ,e can dance our clumsy dance and sing our sorro,ful song---Bor 5 $elieve that my duties as a poet involve friendship not only ,ith the rose and ,ith symmetry, ,ith eCalted love and endless longing, $ut also ,ith unrelenting human occupations ,hich 5 have incorporated into my poetry- '19&1, cited in #an Juan 199 , 1()#een from this angle, NerudaOs historici0ing and futurist imagination does not contradict the 8arCist stance of moral realism1 in fact, it reinforces it- 3e can see this prophetic and critical realism eCtending its universal reach in the antiglo$ali0ation movement today, as ,ell as in traditional revolutionary movements + from the [apatistas of 8eCico, the !alestinians in the occupied territory, to the Nepali and !eruvian 8aoists, to the $lac4 and $ro,n militants in the Nnited #tates, and of course the com$atants of the Ne, !eopleOs @rmy in our midst- 5n one of his late poems, .Al !ue$lo,. Neruda revitali0ed his popularLdemocratic inclusiveness, that com$ination of presence and a$sence ,e have noted earlier:

!or eso nadie se moleste cuando parece :ue estoy solo y no estoy solo, no estoy con nadie y ha$lo para todos: alguien me esta escuchando y no lo sa$en, pero a:uellos :ue canto y :ue lo sa$en siguen naciendo y llenaran el mundo;#o let no one ,orry ,hen 5 seem to $e alone and am not alone, 5 am not ,ith no$ody and 5 spea4 for all + #omeone is listening to me and, although they do not 4no, it, those 5 sing of, those ,ho 4no, go on $eing $orn and ,ill fill up the ,orld- '19&0, >%)< =ur de$t of gratitude to Neruda can $e measured only $y the victories of our nationalL democratic struggle- Bor his resourceful resistance to fascism in Aurope and 6atin @merica, for his resolute opposition to the N-#- invasion of 2ietnam and "am$odia, for his sympathy ,ith the "u$an revolution, for his support of !resident #alvador @llende and the $rief socialist interlude interrupted $y the !inochet coup of #eptem$er 11, 19&%, t,elve days after ,hich Neruda died + all these are registered in the (,000 pages of his =$ras completas + ,e salute !a$lo Neruda '$orn on July 12, 190 as Neftali Ricardo Reyes y Basoalto and died on #eptem$er 2%, 19&%) and eCpress our solidarity ,ith the invinci$le peoples of "hile and the @mericas- 8a$uhay si !a$lo Nerudaa 6ong live !a$lo Nerudaa

R!*!R!N+!# Belitt, Ben- 19&2- .Fhe 8oving Binger and the Nn4no,n Neruda-. 5n !a$lo Neruda: Ne, !oems, edited and translated $y Ben Belitt- Ne, Dor4: 7rove !ressBenMamin, 3alter- 19(9- 5lluminations- Ne, Dor4: #choc4en Boo4sBloch, Arnst- 199(- .8arCism and !oetry-. 5n 8arCist 6iterary Fheory: @ Reader, edited $y Ferry Aagleton and *re, 8ilne- =Cford NS: Blac4,ellBly, Ro$ert- 19&1- .Refusing to $e Fheocritus-. 5n Neruda and 2alleMo: #elected !oems, edited $y Ro$ert Bly- Boston: Beacon !ressBur4e, Senneth- 199&- .Revolutionary #ym$olism in @merica-. 5n "ommunism in @merica: @ Gistory in *ocuments, edited $y @l$ert Bried- Ne, Dor4: "olum$ia Nniversity !ress"aud,ell, "hristopher- 19%&- 5llusion and Reality- Ne, Dor4: 5nternational !u$lishers"osta, Rene de- 19&9- Fhe !oetry of !a$lo Neruda- "am$ridge, 8ass-: Garvard Nniversity !ress*alton, Ro:ue- 2002- .!oetry and 8ilitancy in 6atin @merica-. 5n @rt =n the 6ine, edited $y Jac4 Girschman- 3illimantic, "F: "ur$stone !ress-

*a,es, 7reg- 200%- .Realism, #urrealism, #ocialist Realism and NerudaOs `7uided #pontaneity-. "ultural 6ogic7ramsci, @ntonio- 19&1- #elections from the !rison Note$oo4s- Ne, Dor4: 5nternational !u$lishersJara, Rene- 1992- ."hile-. 5n Gand$oo4 of 6atin @merican 6iterature, edited $y *avid 3illiam Boster- Ne, Dor4: 7arland !u$lishing 5nc8arC, Sarl- 19( - Fhe Aconomic and !hilosophic 8anuscripts of 1K , edited $y *ir4 #trui4- Ne, Dor4: 5nternational !u$lishers8onguio, 6uis- 19(1- .5ntroduction. to #elected !oems of !a$lo Neruda, edited and translated $y Ben Belitt- Ne, Dor4: 7rove !ressNeruda, !a$lo- 19(1- .Fo,ard an 5mpure !oetry-. 5n #elected !oems of !a$lo Neruda, edited $y Ben Belitt- Ne, Dor4: 7rove !ress, 5ncLLLL- 19&1- Fo,ards the #plendid "ity J Gacia la ciudad esplendida- Ne, Dor4: Garcourt Brace and "oLLLL- 19&2- #elected !oems, edited $y Nathaniel Farn- Ne, Dor4: @ *elta Boo4LLLL- 19&%- 5ncitement to NiConicide and !raise for the "hilean Revolution, translated $y #teve So,itt- @ustin, FeCas: Bly $y Night !rinting "ollectiveLLLL- 19K2- .!a$lo NerudaOs `6et the Rail #plitter @,are. and .Notes on the !oem and the N-#- !eace 8ovement-. Ray =- 6ight Ne,sletter 11 '@ugust): 1L20- Reprinted from 6et the Rail #plitter @,a4e and =ther !oems $y !a$lo Neruda, pu$lished $y 8asses b 8ainstream 5nc-, Ne, Dor4, 19>0#an Juan, A- 199 - Brom the 8asses, to the 8asses- 8inneapolis, 8N: 8arCist Aducational !ress#tavans, 5lan- 200 - .!a$lo Neruda: @ 6ife "onsumed $y !oetry and !olitics-. Fhe "hronicle of Gigher Aducation 'July 2)o

...How many works of art...There's not enough room in the world for them any more...They have to bang outside the rooms...How many books...How many little books...Who can read them all...? If they were food...if, during a wave of great hunger, we tossed a salad, cut them up, poured some dressing on them...We've had it...We're fed up...The world is drowning in a flood tide of books... Oh, the land of nights we have never lived: meadows where we were a flicker of movement on the road, something running, running, through the shadow... from Ode to a Sleeping House

I cannot measure the road which may have had no country, or that truth which changed, which the day perhaps subdued to become a wandering light like a firefly in the dark.

from Memory
o o

Where is the child I was, still inside me or gone? When love like a huge wave carried us, crashed us against the boulder, it milled us into a single flour. from Sonnet LXI

It comes on like a flower from the earth advancing with decisive aroma up to the magnitude of the magnolia; but this flower from the depths already burst brings along all the light ever abolished, all the branches that never burned and all the spring-source of whiteness. from The Wave