Poetry Case

Pablo Neruda wrote a poem entitled "Poetry", in 1964. He masterfully captured what it

means to be inspired by words; he wrote something so beautifully inspired that the very soul

inside you awakens. His poem is not your typical verse of lost love or some form of tragedy, yet

its theme is more like a joyous experience every human should experience at least once. The

overall theme of this poem named "Poetry" is one that is never to be forgotten once experienced.

It is essentially about finding your passion in life, your calling so to speak; this is done through

being welcomed by creativity.

This poem, almost perfect in fact, captures my own experiences I have had in life. When

Neruda described the moment, makes me think of a child taking his very first breathe as he or

she enters into life. I found Neruda's use of literary makes his work truly come alive. While I

was reading "Poetry", it felt as if I was with Neruda himself experiencing this new world for the

first time.

In this particular poem you could see that the author found his calling in life, more so his

passion. In the first two lines of the beginning stanza, Neruda does a wonderful job in making

sure the tone is set. Here is an excerpt, a simple statement really, the reader finds himself in the

center of Neruda's time of awakening, "And it was at that age." Neruda (1964). While reading

this you can tell the author does not want the reader to feel that his writing is simple, rather the

author wants the reader to know that poetry is not just words but a living thing that took over

him.

This poem does not actually follow a certain rule, it seems to vary in rhythm and form

stanza to stanza. This varying pattern however is obviously intentional and has a purpose. I took

the time to read this poem out loud and as I was I realized how much I was emphasizing words

that probably meant the most to Neruda. Of course there were words that had the most meaning

and gave the clearest picture for me. Here are some words in the very first verse that stood out to

me the most.

"And it was at that age . . . Poetry arrived

in search of me. I don't know, I don't know where

it came from, from winter or a river.

I don't know how or when," Neruda (1964).

You can tell the form and rhythm of these lines came easy to the author; he did not need

to look extensively for ways to express him. Neruda has explained the words in his poem that it

just suddenly happened; he doesn't know when or how particularly. The meaning of these lines

is perfect fully clear in the way they are written and punctuated.

As far as dictation goes this poem is formal, it's using words that bring about strong

emotions and images in your head. It is in my opinion that the more formal and proper way of

speaking is what creates such a clear and recognizable tone. Formal writing also lets the reader

know that the author is writing something valuable and vital and wishes the reader would not

passively read his poem. Neruda's poem has passion and inspiration throughout the entire thing

and ought to be praised for that.

The author in this poem chose to take on the persona of using his first person point of

view. In my opinion I believe this is the best choice for this poem. In doing this the author

allowed the reader to feel something personal, making it feel like the poem belongs to them. The

author's literary usage in lines such as "fever or forgotten wings, planets, palpitating plantations,

shadow perforated," Neruda (1964) has a