Pablo Neruda

Poetry

Poetry - fact Summary

From Residence on Earth

This poem recounts Neruda’s sudden, personal initiation into poetry as an almost physical visitation. He describes being summoned from streets and night, unable at first to name or see, then composing a first fragile line that opens into cosmic vision. The experience transforms him: he feels both infinitesimal and part of the universe, swept up with stars and mystery. It reflects Neruda’s own encounter with poetic voice and appears in Residence on Earth.

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And it was at that age of 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, no they were not voices, they were not words, nor silence, but from a street I was summoned, from the branches of night, abruptly from the others, among violent fires or returning alone, there I was without a face and it touched me. I did not know what to say, my mouth had no way with names, my eyes were blind, and something started in my soul, fever or forgotten wings, and I made my own way, deciphering that fire, and I wrote the first faint line, faint, without substance, pure nonsense, pure wisdom of someone who knows nothing, and suddenly I saw the heavens unfastened and open, planets, palpitating plantations, shadow perforated, riddled with arrows, fire and flowers, the winding night, the universe. And I, infinitesimal being, drunk with the great starry void, likeness, image of mystery, felt myself a pure part of the abyss, I wheeled with the stars, my heart broke loose on the wind.

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