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

Author: Zhao Zhenjiang, Teng Wei
Publisher:
Publishing 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 lonely 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. His love poetry blended deep affection with 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, several times an unpopular figure in his homeland, Chile. 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.
This book adopts the form of a critical biography and is divided into two main sections: Love and Revolution, with an additional concluding section. It totals 170,000 words, is richly illustrated, and features detailed and professional translations and critiques. The book is beautifully produced.
Love Section:
Introduces Neruda's emotional experiences, brief biographies of his three wives, accompanied by images and recollections from those involved or related to the events. It also covers 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 confusion and wandering. It analyzes the unique charm and artistic characteristics of his love poetry. Each selected poem is followed by background information, background images, and brief appreciative notes.
Revolution Section:
Follows the same structure as 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 like 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's 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 petite bourgeoisie, they will be moved by Neruda's passionate love poems. For literary enthusiasts, they will gain a clear understanding of Neruda from this book.