Ode to Time by Pablo Neruda (1954)
The poem is a lamentation of the passing of time and its effects on human life. It expresses the speaker's sense of disconnection from their past and their inability to relive memories. The poem explores the themes of nostalgia, longing, and the fleeting nature of human existence.
By Pablo Neruda · First published 1954 · Genre: Poetry, Romanticism, Philosophical · 285 words
First lines
Inside your body, your age is growing, inside my body, my age places foot after wandering foot.
Time is unwavering, it never rings its bell for time out, it increases, it journeys, it shows up within us like water that deepens within our own watching, until next to the chestnut burning that is your eyes a slender grass blade arrives, and the trace of a tiny river, and a small dry star ascends to your lips.
Then time raises its threads in your hair, and still in my heart your fragrance of honeysuckle lives like a fire.
It is beautiful, how, as we live, we grow old in the living.
What this Textopian page supports
Ode to Time is listed on Textopian as a poem by Pablo Neruda, dated 1954 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: 1954 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Romanticism, Philosophical, Lyric, Existentialism
- Length: 285 words
- Structure: 1 section, 9 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
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Genres
- Poetry — The work is a lyrical exploration of time and love, characteristic of Neruda's poetic style.
- Romanticism — Themes of love, beauty, and the passage of time reflect the ideals of Romantic literature.
- Philosophical — The text contemplates the nature of time and existence, engaging with deeper philosophical questions.
- Lyric — The personal and emotional expression aligns with the characteristics of lyric poetry.
Tags
Poetry · Latin American Literature · Philosophical · Contemplative · Melancholic · Nostalgic · Elegiac · Free Verse · Lyrical · Imagist · Symbolism · Existential Crisis
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