Pablo Neruda
Saturday is the perfect time to wander through the stacks (that’s librarian-speak for “bookshelves”) and talk about books and the people who write them. Pull up a comfy chair and settle in, because today I want to chat about one of my favorite poets, especially when it comes to love poems, Pablo Neruda.
Few poets have managed to capture the public’s imagination and become synonymous with a genre of poetry the way Pablo Neruda has. He is without a doubt the definitive writer of romantic poetry of the 20th century and with good reason. The Chilean poet did far more than write about sensual liaisons, however – he wrote about feelings of isolation, of loneliness and regret, of a human being’s place in the universe, and yes, about how love relates to all of these things.
When diving into Neruda’s work, it can be frustrating to find so little of it translated into English – but for me I took that as an encouragement to improve my Spanish as much as I possibly could! The Neruda collections I love the most are the ones that have his work printed side by side, in both languages, so I can compare and contrast the translation to the original language in which it was written. In poetry (and in poetry about love, especially) the right or wrong word can make all the difference. One of my favorite poems of Neruda’s is undoubtedly “Tonight I Can Write (The Saddest Lines)”.
If you’re interested in getting a taste of a novel that is full of love, in all its sadness and beauty and joy, then look no further: Hungry is the Night is now available for preorder on all major ebook platforms! Visit the link here to order your copy in advance and, if you send a copy of your receipt to rsjromance@gmail.com, I will send you back an exclusive excerpt of the book! Three full chapters of romance goodness for you to enjoy!