Animal of Light by Pablo Neruda
The poem is a meditation on the nature of love and its relationship to light, darkness, and the human experience. It explores the tension between the desire for connection and the inevitability of separation, using imagery and symbolism to convey the speaker's emotions and ideas. The poem also touches on themes of identity, memory, and the passage of time.
By Pablo Neruda · First published 1969 · Genre: Poetry, Existentialism, Nature Writing · 268 words
First lines
I am in this endless lack of solitude an animal of light corralled by his mistakes and by his foliage: the forest is wide: here my brother creatures swarm, back away, or roam around, while I retreat accompanied by the escort that time chooses: waves of the sea, stars of the night.
It is small, it is wide, scarce and is everything.
My eyes from looking into so many eyes and my mouth from so many kisses, from having swallowed the smoke of those trains that vanished: the old merciless stations and the dust of countless bookshops, the man I am, the mortal, weary of eyes, of kisses, of smoke, of roads, tired of books thicker than the earth.
What this Textopian page supports
Animal of Light is listed on Textopian as a poem by Pablo Neruda, dated 1969 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Pablo Neruda
- Date: 1969 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Existentialism, Nature Writing, Philosophical Literature, Modernism
- Length: 268 words
- Structure: 1 section, 5 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Difficult (10th-12th Grade)
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Genres
- Poetry — The work is characterized by its lyrical style, use of metaphor, and exploration of deep emotional and existential themes.
- Existentialism — The themes of solitude, self-reflection, and the search for meaning are central to the text, aligning it with existentialist literature.
- Nature Writing — The vivid imagery of the forest and natural elements suggests a strong connection to nature, a common theme in this genre.
- Philosophical Literature — The exploration of life, truth, and destiny indicates a philosophical approach to the human condition.
Tags
Poetry · Love · Nature · Imagery · Symbolism · Latin American Literature · Chilean Poetry · Free Verse · Lyrical · Contemplative · Introspective · Emotional
More by Pablo Neruda
- Body of a Woman (1959)
- The Light Wraps You (1954)
- Ah Vastness of Pines (1975)
- The Morning Is Full (1954)
- So That You Will Hear Me (1976)
- I Remember You As You Were (1952)
- Leaning Into The Afternoons Leaning into the afternoons I cast my sad nets towards your oceanic eyes (1954)
- White Bee (1974)
- All works by Pablo Neruda