Neruda

Description

Neruda began writing poetry before the age of fifteen, adopting the pen name “Pablo Neruda.” He studied literature in Santiago and published several experimental works. Later, he served as his country’s ambassador to various nations—most recently Argentina—and soon gained worldwide renown, becoming the most famous Latin American poet of the twentieth century. He joined the Chilean Communist Party, served as a member of parliament, and even ran for the presidency. Remaining steadfast in his ideological and political convictions, he eventually resigned from his diplomatic post. In 1971, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature and was honored at a massive celebration in the Santiago stadium, attended by President Salvador Allende. When General Pinochet overthrew the socialist government led by Allende, the military raided Neruda’s home. When asked what they were searching for, they replied that they were looking for weapons hidden in the house. Neruda responded, “Poetry is my only weapon.” A few days later, in 1973, Neruda passed away—suffering from prostate cancer and the profound despair brought on by the military coup—remarking of the perpetrators: “They have returned to betray Chile once again!”