Election in Chimborongo (1947)

The poem is a commentary on the 1946 Chilean presidential election, which was marked by fraud and corruption. It describes the electoral process in Chimborongo, a small town in Chile, where people are forced to vote for a candidate they do not want. The poem highlights the struggle between the ruling class and the working class, and how the former uses its power to maintain its dominance over the latter.

By Pablo Neruda · First published 1947 · Genre: Political Satire, Social Commentary, Poetry · 175 words

First lines

In Chimborongo, Chile, long ago

I went to a senatorial election.

I saw how the pillars of society were elected.

At eleven in the morning oxcarts crammed with sharecroppers arrived from the country.

What this Textopian page supports

Election in Chimborongo (1947) is listed on Textopian as an essay by Pablo Neruda, dated 1947 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

• Work type: Essay
• Author: Pablo Neruda
• Date: 1947 CE
• Language: English
• Genres: Political Satire, Social Commentary, Poetry, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction
• Length: 175 words
• Structure: 1 section, 10 paragraphs
• Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)

Good citation fit

• Work identity for Election in Chimborongo (1947) by Pablo Neruda
• Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
• Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
• Readability and classroom-planning context
• Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph

Discussion starters

• What should a reader notice first when entering Election in Chimborongo (1947)?
• How does this essay by Pablo Neruda fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
• Where does Political Satire first become important in the reading?

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Genres

• Political Satire — The work critiques the political process and the manipulation of the electorate, highlighting the absurdity of the election.
• Social Commentary — It addresses social issues such as poverty and exploitation of the working class, reflecting on the conditions of the sharecroppers.
• Poetry — The writing style employs poetic language and imagery, characteristic of Neruda's broader body of work.
• Historical Fiction — Set in a specific historical context, it reflects the political climate of Chile during the time.

Tags

Politics · Elections · Chilean Literature · Poetry · Latin American Culture · Social Commentary · Satire · Humor · Irony · Critique of Power · Democracy · Corruption

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