Evolving Neruda

In the last of Neruda’s poems, Poem 20, gives good closure to his collection. His writing style changes as there appears to be more emotion in his writing. His main focus is of how sad his writing is. He is without his woman, his love, in his last poem and the realization seems to have impacted him a lot.

Neruda emphasizes the phrase, as he repeats it several times in his poem, “Puedo escribir los versos más tristes esta noche.” As I looked up the translation, “I can write the saddest lines tonight” doesn’t actually translate to I am writing but actually I can write. Does Neruda really think that what he is writing is sad or is it more of an attempt to change the general themes of his poems?

I am also still trying to determine what Neruda means when he says, twice, “Yo la quise, y a veces ella también me quiso” and then again, “Ella me quiso, a veces yo también la quería”. He is trying to make the same point to his readers but rearranges his words to possibly have a greater impact. Can anyone help elaborate on this?

Also, I liked that Neruda changed his style in this poem. He begins the poem by inserting quotes, proclaiming what he could write about, “Escribir, por ejemplo: "La noche esta estrellada, y tiritan, azules, los astros, a lo lejos". This is different then what he usually does and it can prove that he has become more comfortable as a writer as his collection has grown. In his last poem, he shows a greater variety of characteristics in his style of writing. His s ad theme is not unnoticed from his regular love poems.

In Poem 19 he continues to generalize the woman in his poem, “Niña morena y ágil” … this is the first I remember that he is not writing about a “mujer” but a younger lady, someone with less power.

I liked Poem 19’s translation the most. It was more timid. Just when you think there are no sexual pretenses, the last few lines strike you, “and I love your beautiful body, your voice soft and think” …
Brown and agile girl, the sun that makes the fruit
which curdles the wheat, which turns algae did your beautiful body, your shining eyes
and your mouth that has the smile of water.
A black sun and anxious is braided into the strands
of black hair when you open your arms.
You play in the sun like a tidal
That leaves the eyes two dark pools.
Brown and agile girl, nothing from you about me.
All of you away from me as noon.
You are the delirious youth of bee,
The drunkenness of the wave, the power of the post.
My somber heart searches, however,
And I love your beautiful body, your voice soft and thin.
Sweet brown butterfly final
as the wheat and the sun, the poppy and water.