I hope everyone is doing well!
This week, I finished reading Pablo Neruda's Twenty Love Poems and A Song of Despair. This collection of poems had both pieces I enjoyed and some I didn't. In order to fully understand, I had to read some poems more than once. I honestly don't like poetry since it causes me to overanalyze and become confused. Poetry, in my opinion, has lovely patterns and artistic writing. Still, it also teases and holds back, leaving you with unanswered questions. I do not like to be left wondering. Although, I enjoyed Twenty Love Poems more than other poetry that I have read.
Neruda's poetry, which deals with themes of romance, destruction, and solitude, takes more work to put into straightforward words. Though I'm not a fan of love-style writing, I found it enjoyable since I've experienced all of the emotions, ups and downs, and thrills that come with it, so I could relate to some parts.
The lines "the memory of you emerges from the night around me. The river mingles its stubborn lament with the sea (p. 51)" gave me intense feelings. These brought up memories of grief and heartbreak. Just getting through the day, missing someone you can't contact anymore. The notion of being alone in the dark of night, drowning in your own thoughts, came to me.
"But my words become stained with your love. You occupy everything (p.13)." In this line, Neruda perfectly describes the feeling of passion toward your love. I identify with the emotions he is expressing, notably his decision to change his mind about not paying enough attention to his beloved and his declaration of love for that person exclusively. Knowing from experience that when you are deeply in love, it is almost like having a brain fog because all you can think about is that person and when you will next see them.
"Your memory is made of light, of smoke, of a still pond... dry autumn leaves revolved in your soul (p. 15)." I adore how Neruda describes his sweetheart using nature. It's as though his partner is his source of happiness (hence "made of light," yet the smoke represents her shadows, and despite this, she maintains a stoic demeanour. As for the leaves revolving in the soul, Neruda is trying to say not only his beloved but the love itself is intense, revolving to create like a tornado. The thoughts, passion, and intensity are almost uncontrollable.
Questions:
- Which poem did you relate the most to?
- Was there a poem you didn't like?
Thank you Julia for your comment. Like some of your colleagues, you have found the connection of these poems to Nature to be central. What you mention, about the "brain fog" when we are in love, I found interesting. In those moments we cannot see or perceive clearly, we stop looking at some things in front of us. Behind the metaphors, so full of force, we cannot hear the voice of the woman to whom Neruda is speaking. That tornado has silenced a voice, which is as if absent.
ReplyDeleteHello Julia! I loved reading your post and reflections on this week's reading. Answering your questions, I think my favorite poem was "Here I Love You" since I like the perspective from which he reflects on love. Maybe this is a very personal opinion, but while reading this poem, I thought about the "consistency" of love in an individual's life. No matter the situation, you constantly have in mind that special someone, and in a way, everything can remind you about how much you love someone. The poem "The Difficulty to Write" was one that I didn't enjoy as much, as I couldn't connect as much with his writing and ideas, whereas with others, I could picture myself going through the same emotions.
ReplyDeleteI also often find myself in am endless loop of overanalyzing when I am reading poetry! Your explanation actually put into words what I usually have trouble describing about my experiences with poetry. Despite your feelings about consuming poetry, I still find your interpretations and thoughts about the poems to be quite compelling and eloquent. I actually feel as though you managed to extract extensive meaning from the lines you have drawn our attention to. Your analysis "alone dark at night, drowning in your own thoughts" is such an introspective interpretation of Neruda's words. To answer your question, "Tonight I can Write" is probably my favourite poem, however it has quite a somber tone and based on the collection of poems I don't like the journey it took to get that point.
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