The Poets Obligation Maizy Justin Savannah Vanessa History

The Poet’s Obligation Maizy, Justin, Savannah, Vanessa

History Behind the Poem: The poem was published in a book, “Fully Empowered” in June of 1961, shortly after Neruda became recognized worldwide as a great poet. And while there’s no exact year the poem was written in because it was published in a book, it’s speculated that Neruda wrote the poem in reflection upon the time he was exiled from his own country.

Chile in 1961 In the late 1950 s, Chile went under multiple reforms in an attempt to modernize their country. One of these reforms was the Agriculture plan, which in the end allowed many improvements to everyday life but ended up costing the average taxpayer more money. Because of reforms like these, the Chilean economy slowly started growing (roughly 2. 4% every year) Contradictory to what the economy was proving, the wealth distribution in Chile was still unequal, causing tension

Neruda in Chile Neruda returns from exile in 1959 The Chile Neruda returned to was completely different of the Chile he left and yet, all too familiar. When Neruda returned in 1959, Chile’s slow economic growth had not yet proven beneficial, people were still starving, the poor were still poor, and the rich were richer than ever. This upset Neruda and he took it upon himself to write about the detriments he found within society.

IOC

Dominant Effect: Pablo Neruda uses the ocean as a metaphor to exemplify the liberation of minds and stress the roles of poets and their poetry to enlighten readers.

Imagery 1 Personification Metaphor Diction - First Person immediately sets the scene by addressing specific audience in house or office, factory or woman - Introduce water imagery or street or mine or harsh prison cell, - Cooped up → stuck, mundane imagery To whomever is not listening to the sea this Friday morning, to whomever is cooped up

Imagery 5 Personification Metaphor to him I come, and, without speaking or looking, Diction - Metaphorically meeting audience, opening door to reach them - His: not direct address, but still specifies audience - Prison = robotic lifestyle, routines - Sensory/movement imagery catalyzed by Neruda’s entrance I arrive and open the door of his prison, and a vibration starts up, vague and insistent,

Imagery 8 Personification Metaphor Diction - Metaphorical shift, world changes after being set free - Movement imagery the star vibrates swiftly in its corona - Sea is living/life and the sea is beating, dying and continuing. - Ring of light = enlightenment a great fragment of thunder sets in motion the rumble of the planet and the foam, the raucous rivers of the ocean flood,

Stanza 2 13 So, drawn on by my destiny, I endlessly must listen to and keep - Informative tone - Destiny, purpose, requirement… obligation - Sea speaks to Neruda, Neruda = messenger - Save sensations of poetry the sea's lamenting in my awareness, I must feel the crash of the hard water and gather it up in a perpetual cup

Imagery 18 so Personification Metaphor that, wherever those in prison may be, wherever they suffer the autumn’s castigation, - Wherever = anywhere, poetry will be available - Physically locked away, emotionally chained, etc. - Metaphor: bring ocean (poetry) to the people - Out of the ordinary/mundane - Encouraging others, who were previously looking down - Metaphor: leaving boring lives I may be there with an errant wave, I may move, passing through the windows, and hearing me, eyes will glance upward, saying: how can I reach the sea? Diction

Imagery 24 Personification Metaphor Diction And I shall broadcast, saying nothing, - Broadcast = wide audience the starry echoes of the wave, - Importance in sensations, not speech - Movement imagery cuts through the ordinary - Cry = sharp sound, call to attention a breaking up of foam and quicksand, a rustling of salt withdrawing, the gray cry of sea-birds on the coast.

Imagery 29 So, Personification Metaphor through me, freedom and the sea will make their answer to the shuttered heart. Diction - Diction: Neruda as messenger - True speaker = poetry - Gentle tone: hope for people in suffering - Shuttered = cooped - Poet’s obligation = bring freedom to people through poetry

Creative Interpretation