Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair
Product ID: 1200180
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The most popular work by Chile's Nobel Prize-winning poet, and the subject of Pablo Larraín's acclaimed feature film Neruda starring Gael García Bernal A Penguin Classic When it appeared in 1924, this work launched into the international spotlight a young and unknown poet whose writings would ignite a generation. W. S. Merwin’s incomparable translation faces the original Spanish text. Now in a black-spine Classics edition with an introduction by Cristina Garcia, this book stands as an essential collection that continues to inspire lovers and poets around the world. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators. Review: A Marriage of Nature and Soul - No one has ever written poems like Pablo Neruda. At least, I've read many of the best poems in the world and no one captures my soul so completely as a romantic Neruda poem. His poems literally give me shivers they are so beautiful. He makes you feel the full depth of love and you might be shocked that these poems were published when Pablo Neruda was only twenty. There is such a mingling of nature and spirit in these poems. He says so casually: "and the leaves fell in the water of your soul." What a beautiful image but whatever does it mean? Sometimes a line of the poems will stand out but you will be mystified although captured. I also love when he says: "my heart closes like a nocturnal flower" definitely meaning something important. You can almost feel the damp earth longing for the warm rays of sun in the morning. Often these poems are better on a second or third reading. The first time you read them you may just be bowled over but the second time you may just be overwhelmed with the vocabulary. But by the third time you read them you may actually start to visualize what Pablo Neruda is saying and suddenly the whole experience starts to be more visual. I consciously try to take time to form the images in my mind which sometimes means I read the poems a bit slower. In this collection you can tell Pablo Neruda is just starting to perfect his craft. Some of the poems have words repeated four times or a phrase will be repeated again and again. The poems are not quite as finely tuned yet. But we can easily forgive him as everything else he says resonates so well with the human soul. Each poem in this collection is a different mood, yet somewhat similar in desire. In the start of this book there is not a feeling that Pablo Neruda has experienced the demolition of love but by the last two poems you know he has. "Clasping my arms like a climbing plant the leaves garnered your voice, that was slow and at peace. Bonfire of awe in which my thirst was burning. Sweet blue hyacinth twisted over my soul." (from "I Remember You As You Were") After watching "The Postman" I became interested in purchasing my first book of Pablo Neruda's poems in 2007. Needless to say I went into the experience with very high expectations. But it wasn't until 2015 (I'm editing this review) that I fully experienced these poems again. At times I was surprised by their complexity. "The moon turns its clockwork dream. The biggest stars look at me with your eyes. And as I love you, the pines in the wind want to sing your name with their leaves of wire." (from "Here I Love You") I expected the poems to be less veiled in mystery and more infused with images of erotic love. Still these poems can be enjoyed for their passionate intimacy and natural sensuality. I will just say one last thing, you will never again think of cherry trees in the same way again after reading this book. ~The Rebecca Review Review: Inimitable - If you're unfamiliar with Neruda, reading this book will give you a hint as to why he won a Nobel Prize. You'll also be amazed when you find he wrote it when he was 19 years old. The presentation of his poetry in this little volume is first-rate. It's printed beautifully on good paper, and the illustrations by Picasso just seem to fit. The parallel text is a welcome touch. I don't know near enough Spanish for my own good, but I can pronounce it. Reading the poems aloud in their original reveals another reason why they work so beautifully. The English translation is a rare combination of accurate and lyrical. This book, in this edition, is a rare jewel.
| Best Sellers Rank | #68,619 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #11 in Spanish Poetry (Books) #13 in Caribbean & Latin American Poetry (Books) #113 in Love Poems |
| Customer Reviews | 4.7 out of 5 stars 633 Reviews |
T**W
A Marriage of Nature and Soul
No one has ever written poems like Pablo Neruda. At least, I've read many of the best poems in the world and no one captures my soul so completely as a romantic Neruda poem. His poems literally give me shivers they are so beautiful. He makes you feel the full depth of love and you might be shocked that these poems were published when Pablo Neruda was only twenty. There is such a mingling of nature and spirit in these poems. He says so casually: "and the leaves fell in the water of your soul." What a beautiful image but whatever does it mean? Sometimes a line of the poems will stand out but you will be mystified although captured. I also love when he says: "my heart closes like a nocturnal flower" definitely meaning something important. You can almost feel the damp earth longing for the warm rays of sun in the morning. Often these poems are better on a second or third reading. The first time you read them you may just be bowled over but the second time you may just be overwhelmed with the vocabulary. But by the third time you read them you may actually start to visualize what Pablo Neruda is saying and suddenly the whole experience starts to be more visual. I consciously try to take time to form the images in my mind which sometimes means I read the poems a bit slower. In this collection you can tell Pablo Neruda is just starting to perfect his craft. Some of the poems have words repeated four times or a phrase will be repeated again and again. The poems are not quite as finely tuned yet. But we can easily forgive him as everything else he says resonates so well with the human soul. Each poem in this collection is a different mood, yet somewhat similar in desire. In the start of this book there is not a feeling that Pablo Neruda has experienced the demolition of love but by the last two poems you know he has. "Clasping my arms like a climbing plant the leaves garnered your voice, that was slow and at peace. Bonfire of awe in which my thirst was burning. Sweet blue hyacinth twisted over my soul." (from "I Remember You As You Were") After watching "The Postman" I became interested in purchasing my first book of Pablo Neruda's poems in 2007. Needless to say I went into the experience with very high expectations. But it wasn't until 2015 (I'm editing this review) that I fully experienced these poems again. At times I was surprised by their complexity. "The moon turns its clockwork dream. The biggest stars look at me with your eyes. And as I love you, the pines in the wind want to sing your name with their leaves of wire." (from "Here I Love You") I expected the poems to be less veiled in mystery and more infused with images of erotic love. Still these poems can be enjoyed for their passionate intimacy and natural sensuality. I will just say one last thing, you will never again think of cherry trees in the same way again after reading this book. ~The Rebecca Review
A**R
Inimitable
If you're unfamiliar with Neruda, reading this book will give you a hint as to why he won a Nobel Prize. You'll also be amazed when you find he wrote it when he was 19 years old. The presentation of his poetry in this little volume is first-rate. It's printed beautifully on good paper, and the illustrations by Picasso just seem to fit. The parallel text is a welcome touch. I don't know near enough Spanish for my own good, but I can pronounce it. Reading the poems aloud in their original reveals another reason why they work so beautifully. The English translation is a rare combination of accurate and lyrical. This book, in this edition, is a rare jewel.
K**R
Beautiful copy of this book. Excellent translations.
This is a really gorgeous copy of this book with beautiful translations. A great layout with the bilingual poems facing each other. A nice simple, clean format. I also like all of the details in the prologue for those who are unfamiliar with this poet’s work. I bought this for a friend as a going away present. However, I decided to order another copy for myself since it was such a nice translation.
G**E
Used and in good shape, practice my Spanish with
Beautiful. And I bought this used and it was just fine. Makes me feel better when I buy a used book, haha. I like to practice reading these aloud to keep up my Spanish. Bought this one since I gave (but don't know if it was even appreciated) away my copy of another Neruda volume - the bilingual version of "Love Poems" by Pablo Neruda and I loved that anyone I knew could also read it as on one page there's Spanish, and on the next, English. I also liked the size and color of that pink book.
A**E
It's a very good book
It's a very good book
D**E
My favorite
I bought this to help with my learning spanish and it has helped so much in practicing and learning new words!
L**Y
They give you insight to the reality of love itself wherein you can share it when the time ...
The poems are relaxing to the mind but invigorates the soul. They give you insight to the reality of love itself wherein you can share it when the time comes with the right person. Some things about life never change, no matter the era. When you fully insert yourself into the poetic situation, it will overcome you with the meaning it was intended to. The gratification given is beyond what some words can express and can only be felt through your body sensations.
M**R
Arrived in very good condition and arrived quickly
This book arrived in very good condition. The poems are excellent. I highly recommend it to readers. It arrived wrapped well and it arrived quickly. I highly recommend this book seller.
G**4
Begeistert
Ein wundervolles Buch. Ich war bei der Ankunft des Buches recht überrascht wie dünn es eigentlich ist (das Paket hat in den Briefkasten gepasst). Aber es sind nun mal eben, wie der Titel es auch sagt, nur 20 Liebesgedichte und ein Lied der Verzweiflung. Und jedes dieser Gedichte ist faszinierend und verfügt über einige Zeilen und Absätze, die bei mir im Gedächtnis hängen blieben. Bei manchen habe ich mitgefühlt, bei anderen war ich mehr interessiert an der sprachlichen Gestaltung.
M**Z
Muy romántico🩷
Lo compré para un regalo y le encantó!
S**S
pablo neruda
livre exellent , certainement un livre a avoir dans sa collections de poesie , et le version espagnol a coté de la version anglaise est tres appréciable
P**L
Magic
Better understanding every word yet the spanish text keeps all the magic
P**T
Beautiful
Love love love!!
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