Pablo Neruda---- Author Information

 

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Pablo Neruda
Section 1---- Biography

Birth Name: Neftalí Ricardo Reyes Basoalto
Pen Name: Pablo Neruda (1946-1973)
Reason for Pen Name: His father disapproved of poetry and wanted Pablo to pursue a more "practical" career.
Born: July 12, 1904
Died: September 23, 1972
Hometown: Parral, Chile
Education:
- Entered the Temuco Boys’ School in 1910 (age 6)
- Finished Secondary Schooling at the Temuco Boys’ School in 1920 (age 16)
Inspirations: Gabriela Mistral and Walt Whitman
Interesting Fact: Neruda always wrote in green ink because green is the color of Esperanza (hope)


Family:
Parents:
- Rosa Basoalto: Pablo's mother who worked as a school teacher before her untimely death two months after his birth.
- José del Carmen Reyes: Pablo’s father who worked as a railway employee. Discouraged him from writing as he wanted his son to have a practical job.
-Trinidad Candia Marverde (stepmother): Married José after he and Pablo moved to Temuco, Chile.
Wives:
-Maryka Antonieta Hagenaar Vogelzang: Pablo's first wife, a dutch woman he met in Java during diplomatic service.
-Delia del Carril: Pablo's second wife, an older Argentine woman.
Children:
-Malva Marina Trinidad: Pablo's daughter and only child, was born with Maryka, and unfortunately died due to health problems at the age of 9.
Siblings:
- Rodolfo and Luara (half brother/sister): Lived with Pablo in Temuco.




Section 2---- Contributions


Q: What impact did Pablo Neruda have?

A: Pablo had a very large impact on politics all across the world, as in addition to his powerful poems, Neruda held positions of high power. Some of the positions he held were Consul of Spanish Imigration, Consul General in Mexico, Senator of Chile's republic, Chilean Ambassador to France, and a nomination for Chile's president.
His writing also made a large impact on politics during his time, especially his writings during the Spanish civil war entitled España en el corazón ("Spain in My Heart"). In those peices he threw himself behind the republican party and relayed their message all across the world as the poem was so widely published. Another occasion was when Pablo wrote a speech against president of Chile, Gabriel Gonzale Videla, by reading off the names of every coal miner that the president had imprisoned in concentration camps for striking. This brought widespread attention to the unpopular leader which weakened his government due to the scandal.
Pablo's ability to sway the people of Chile lead to the two men he campaigned with for president to be elected.

Q: Why do we study Pablo Neruda?


A: Neruda is still studied because of his role as a politician in the affairs of Chile,Spain the United States (mostly regarding the Vietnam War), and other countries; as well as the fact he rose to the heights with only a pen, green ink, and paper instead of releying on friends in high places and dirty tactics.

Q: What awards did Pablo Neruda Win?

A: - International Peace Prize in 1950
- Stalin Peace Prize in 1953
- Lenin Peace Prize in 1953
- A Nobel Prize for Literature in 1971

Q: What are some of the titles of Pablo Neruda's work?


1. Veinte poemas de amor y una canción desesperada ("Twenty Love Poems and a Desperate Song"), a collection of eroticism love poems. Veinte poemas would sell millions of copies and become Neruda's best-known work.

2. Alturas de Macchu Picchu, a work in which Neruda celebrated the achievement of Machu Picchu, but also condemned the slavery which had made it possible (arguably the greatest political poem of all time).

3. Yo acuso ("I accuse"), a dramatic speech in which he read out the names of the miners and their families who were imprisoned by González Videla in concentration camps.

4. España en el corazón ("Spain in My Heart"), the poem in which Neruda declared himself a supporter of the Republican Party.

5. Canto General
. Dealt with his time underground in Chile, which is when he composed much of the poem. In fact, he had carried the manuscript with him on his escape on horseback. In Mexico, he was granted honorary Mexican citizenship.




Section 3---- Quotations

" You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep spring from coming.”

" The books that help you most are those which make you think that most. The hardest way of learning is that of easy reading; but a great book that comes from a great thinker is a ship of thought, deep freighted with truth and beauty.”

"Peace goes into the making of a poem as flour goes into the making of bread."

"From each crime are born bullets that will one day seek out in you where the heart lies."

"Perhaps this war will pass like the others which divided us leaving us dead, killing us along with the killers but the shame of this time puts its burning fingers to our faces. Who will erase the ruthlessness hidden in innocent blood?"




Section 4---- Questions


- How did your father react when you legally changed your name to Pablo Neruda?

- Why did you turn down the opportunity to run for president with such good odds of being elected?


- Do you prefer writing political or romantic poems?

- When did you begin writing your poems in green ink to symbolie hope?

- Which poem of yours do you think had the most impact on the world?