La Cultura | Noviembre: Pablo Neruda (poeta)

The SHS Society
Nov 4, 2016
2 min read

Every month (starting this one), the managers of the SHS blog will post about a particular icon (such as a celebrity, writer, or athlete). This icon will be the "Person of the Month" S/he will celebrated in the Spanish classrooms, on the Spanish Bulletin Board, and here on the blog, for the entirety of the month that s/he is dedicated to. We will try to cover a mix between everyone's favorites, as well as some icons that you may not have heard of. Enjoy!!

This month, we will focus on the Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. Born Ricardo Eliécer Neftalí Reyes Basoalto, Neruda changed his name to "Pablo Neruda" as a pen name, and this pen name eventually became his actual name.

Many people have recognized Neruda's talent. Neruda was recognized by the Colombian artist-novelist called Gabriel García Márquez. He deemed Neruda "the greatest poet of the 20th century in any language”. Harold Bloom included Neruda as one of the “26 central writers to the ‘Western Tradition’ in his book called The Western Canon”. Taylor Swift recognized his talent in the prologue of her 4th studio album, RED.

Neruda was first known as a poet at 10 years old. He wrote many different kinds of poems, such as historical epics, love poems, political manifestos, surrealist poems, and a prose autobiography. Some of his works include: Walking Around, Ode to My Socks, A Song of Despair, Cats Dream, and Enigmas.

Fun Facts:

1. Neruda wrote in green ink, as he believed this symbolized hope and desire.

2. Neruda has received a number of prestigious awards. Among these include the International Peace Prize in 1950, the Lenin Peace Prize as well as the Stalin Peace Prize in 1953, and the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1971.

3. By the time he finished high school, Neruda had already been published in a number of local papers and Santiago magazines. He won several literary competitions during this time as well.

Thanks for reading! Be sure to subscribe for all of the latest updates on the SHS website, and check the LISG SHS Bulletin Board (located between Sra. Ameri and Dra. Wilcox's rooms) for more fun facts about Pablo Neruda, coming soon!