Neruda

Neruda:Overview:

Neruda’s poetry of “existential crisis”Neruda as a surrealist?Pure and impure poetryInfluence of the Spanish Civil War Social Poetry Neruda’s Stalinism.

Neruda: After Veinte poemas1920s: Consul in Burma and other diplomatic roles

in Far EastRelationship with Josie BlissPoetry

Tentativa del hombre infinito (1926)Residencia en la tierra Poetry of existential crisis and hermeticism (de Costa

1979: x)

Neruda: Residencia en la tierra I and IIShift from “yo-loved one” relationship to “yo-mundo”

or “yo-Naturaleza”Poetry of solitude and crisis

Galope muerto (1926) Unordered similes, unconnected elements, incomplete

images; Free verse, lengthy sentences and enjambment; Poetry of contradiction and alienation.

Neruda: Residencia en la tierra I and II“Tango del viudo” (1929/1933)

After relationship with Josie BlissLove as violence and jealousy“Tango solitario”Existential crisis

“Walking around” (1935)Note: English titleIrregular form Striking images of desire and violenceUncanny images from the everydayPoeticising of the unpoetic?

Neruda: SurrealismOrigins of the term and movement:

Apollinaire describing Cocteau’s play Parade (1917)Sur-realism: “The truth beyond realism”Tristan Tzara: Dada – art as rebellion against

established order post WW IAndre Breton:

Manifestos of surrealismSurrealism as avant-garde groupInternal struggles

Expulsion of Desnos, Artaud, BataillePolitics: links to French Communist Party.

Neruda: SurrealismKey characteristics:

Free up the unconscious that is repressed and chained by the modern world;

Investigation of dreams, the unconscious and desire;Importance of sexual desire – Influence of Freud;Literary techniques:

automatic writing; group writing: “exquisite corpse”; freeing up the unconscious.

Art that aims to reconnect with the praxis of everyday life: scandal and provocation.

Neruda: SurrealismPicasso: Three Dancers (1925)

Neruda: SurrealismDali: The Temptation of St Anthony

Neruda: SurrealismSurrealism in Latin America

Aldo Pellegrini in Buenos Aires: translations of French works; publication of local surrealist works

Importance of Maria Luisa Bombal: La amortajada (1938) Exploration of subconscious and dreams (life after death) Presentation of female desire.

Neruda: SurrealismRoberto Matta (Chi): Untitled watercolour (1937)

Neruda: SurrealismNeruda as a surrealist?

Salvador (2004): “Residencia puede considerarse un texto surrealista no porque sea

automatismo irracional o simple ejercicio creacionista*, sino porque es la persecución de una articulación ‘arraigada’ que busca sus fundamentos en la estructura misma de lo que llamamos inconsciente.” (225) * Nb: “creacionismo”: term coined by Vicente Huidobro to describe his own poetry.

“El poeta chileno será, sin duda, uno de los primeros cultivadores de lo que más tarde la crítica denominó ‘surrealismo hispánico’” (231)

Presence within any surrealist groups? Political role of his activities in late 1920s and early 30s in contrast to

surrealist groups? Contrast between French and Lat Am surrealism:

literary and political surrealism?

Neruda: The avant-gardeNeruda in Spain

Spain’s Generation of 1927 Rediscovery of Gongora by Lorca, Alberti, Hernandez and others Lorca’s surrealist poetry (Poeta en Nueva York)

Dominant contemporary styles: Modernismo/simbolismo Antonio Machado; Juan Ramón Jiménez

Gesamtkunstwerk (Wagner: all arts together) Importance of French poets

Mallarmé (pure poetry) Baudelaire (symbolism)

Ruben Dario as key modernista

Neruda: The avant-gardeNeruda in Spain

Editor of Caballo verde para la poesia Title: suggests surrealist agenda Publication of manifestos

Sobre una poesía sin pureza (1935); Los temas (1935) Rebellion against “pure” poetry: poesia sin pureza; poesia impura.

Basis for poetry with social themes Possibility of poetic “commitment”

Vs. “art for art’s sake” (arte por el arte; art pour l’art) Poetry associated with the world of work and technology Poetry not strictly limited to the aesthetic (Salvador 2004: 235) Manifesto attacked by Juan Ramón Jiménez

Neruda: 1936 and beyondNeruda as “Picasso of poetry”

Links with avant-garde groups Constant changes and development Importance of Spanish Civil War

1936: Franco and the Nationalist uprising Civil War until 1939 End of the Second Republic Murder of poets and artists including Federico García Lorca

Neruda resigns consular post: France and then Chile Raises funds to help Republican cause Organises boat, Winnipeg, to ship Republicans from danger

Neruda: 1936 and beyond

Neruda: 1936 and beyondPoetry post-1936

Los poetas del mundo defienden España (1936) Poetry to raise consciousness of Spanish situation Poets involved in pro-Republican fundraising

Tercera residencia: España en el corazón. “Explico algunas cosas”

Poem announces change in aesthetic and theme Attack on Nationalists Breakdown of certain poetic models

“Canto sobre unas ruinas” Ruins as ruins of Spain and of certain poetic models

End of “uncommitted poetry”, “pure artistic realms”? Existential solitude poetic solidarity Need for poetic communication

Neruda: 1936 and beyondPicasso: Guernica

Surrealist techniques with communicative/political aims? Art of denunciation

Neruda: 1936 and beyondPoetry post-1936

“Sanjurjo en los infiernos” Polemic poetry Attack on Spanish Nationalists and conservative establishment Violent and shocking imagery: portrayal of shock of war? Risks of poetry as propaganda?

Benedetti Los poetas comunicantes Poesia comprometida/committed poetry

Sacrifice of artistic concerns Poetry to communicate needs of the worker Poetry of “emergency”

Neruda: 1936 and beyondPoetry post-1936

Work becomes “hondamente americana” (Rodriguez Monegal 1977: 25) Salvador 2004: 226

“Comienza a adquirir una conciencia social radical y a cambiar sustancialmente sus presupuestos esteticos”

Commitment to Stalinism from 1940 (member of CP) Role of Socialist Writers Conference Commitment to progress, technology, and other communist goals.

1942 “Canto a Stalingrado” Poetry in support of defence of Stalingrad Published as poster on the streets of Mexico

Poetry increasingly in support of Soviet system