Seaquake by Pablo Neruda (1954)
The poem explores the theme of love and its transformative power. It describes a romantic encounter between two people, using imagery and metaphor to convey the intensity and beauty of their emotions. The speaker's voice is characterized by passion, urgency, and a sense of wonder. The poem also touches on the idea that love can be both creative and destructive, comparing it to a natural disaster like an earthquake.
By Pablo Neruda · First published 1954 · Genre: Poetry, Surrealism, Nature Writing · 329 words
First lines
The clocks of the sea, the artichokes, the blazing money boxes, the pockets of the sea full of hands, the lamps of water, the shoes and boots of the ocean, the mollusks, the sea cucumbers, the defiant crabs, certain fish that swim and sigh, the sea urchins that exit, the deep sea's chestnuts, the ocean's azure umbrellas, the broken telegrams, the waltz over the waves, the seaquake gives all of this to me.
The waves returned to the Bible: page by page the water closed: all anger returned to the sea's center, but between my eyes what remains are the varied and useless treasures that the sea left me, the ocean's dismantled love and shadowy rose.
What this Textopian page supports
Seaquake 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, Surrealism, Nature Writing, Symbolism, Existentialism
- Length: 329 words
- Structure: 1 section, 8 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Seaquake by Pablo Neruda
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- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Discussion starters
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Genres
- Poetry — The work is characterized by its lyrical style, vivid imagery, and emotional depth, typical of poetry.
- Surrealism — The text features dream-like sequences and unconventional juxtapositions, aligning with surrealist themes.
- Nature Writing — The focus on the sea and its elements highlights a deep connection to nature, a common theme in nature writing.
- Symbolism — The use of symbols such as the sea and its creatures conveys deeper meanings and emotions, characteristic of symbolism.
Tags
Poetry · Chilean Literature · Latin American Poetry · Nature · Ocean · Earthquake · Disaster · Destruction · Power of Nature · Human Vulnerability · Fear · Awe
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