Portrait on the Rock: Neruda's Love·Poetry·Revolution: Neruda's Love·Poetry·Revolution

Author: Zhao Zhenjiang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-09-01
Features: Neruda himself believed that love and duty were his two wings. This book elaborates on his love and revolutionary stories through poetry, with abundant background information not only providing a new perspective for understanding the works themselves but also adding a vibrant touch to the solitary poetry. At the same time, the selected poems present the essence of Neruda's poetry in a simple and elegant manner. Pablo Neruda, a complex individual, an exceptionally talented poet who gained fame at a young age, loved nature as much as women, fine wine, and gourmet food, whose love poems blended deep affection and sensuality. He was a great Chilean poet, a communist, an outspoken politician who valued social justice as much as poetic art, an ambassador, and a presidential candidate. A Nobel Prize laureate in Literature in 1971, he was, however, repeatedly unpopular in his homeland, Chile, during his lifetime. This year marks the centenary of the birth of the Nobel Prize-winning poet Neruda. The purpose of this book is to comprehensively introduce Neruda's (Nobel Prize in Literature, 1971) poetic art and life journey, allowing more Chinese readers to understand this poet who enjoyed worldwide acclaim in the 1950s and 1970s. The book adopts a critical biography format, primarily divided into two sections: Love and Revolution, with an additional concluding section. It totals 170,000 words, illustrated with images and rich in detailed information, professionally translated and critically reviewed, with exquisite production.
Love Section:
Introduces Neruda's emotional experiences, brief introductions to his three wives, accompanied by images and recollections from those involved or related to him. It also explores his interactions with artists and poets around the world, including anecdotes and interesting stories.
Poetry Selection Section:
Selects representative works from this period, primarily focusing on the numerous obscure and modernist-style pure poems Neruda wrote during his early years of hesitation and confusion, while traveling extensively. It analyzes the unique charm and artistic characteristics of Neruda's love poetry. Each selected poem is followed by background information, background images, and brief critical remarks.
Revolution Section:
Structured similarly to the Love section. It mainly introduces Neruda's turn to the left and his revolutionary experiences after joining the Communist Party of Chile. It includes his presidential campaign, his interactions with figures such as Allende, Che Guevara, and Stalin, his visit to China, and his exile and death. The Poetry Selection Section features his most famous and influential political lyrical poems.
Concluding Section:
Summarizes his life and poetry, introducing the immense reputation he gained as a poet, such as the Nobel Prize citation and his acceptance speech.
For today's disillusioned youth, this book can evoke a longing for the "Red Sixties." When Che Guevara died, he carried with him an arithmetic textbook and two copies of Neruda's poetry. For the urban middle class, they will be moved by Neruda's passionate love poems. For literature enthusiasts, they will gain a clear understanding of Neruda from this book.