The First Journey by Pablo Neruda
This poem is a nostalgic and introspective account of the speaker's first journey, which is both physical and emotional. The speaker recounts their childhood experience of traveling by train from the countryside to the city, where they were born. The poem explores themes of identity, belonging, and the search for one's roots.
By Pablo Neruda · First published 1952 · Genre: Poetry, Autobiographical, Nature Writing · 226 words
First lines
I don't know when we came to Temuco.
It was vague, being born, and a slow business, being truly born, and slowly feeling, knowing, hating, loving.
All that has both flowers and thorns.
From the dusty bosom of my country they took me, still an infant, into the rain of Araucania.
What this Textopian page supports
The First Journey is listed on Textopian as a poem by Pablo Neruda, dated 1952 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: 1952 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Autobiographical, Nature Writing, Literary Fiction, Coming-of-Age
- Length: 226 words
- Structure: 1 section, 11 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The First Journey by Pablo Neruda
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Similar titles
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Genres
- Poetry — The work exhibits lyrical language, imagery, and emotional depth characteristic of poetry.
- Autobiographical — The narrative reflects personal experiences and memories, indicating autobiographical elements.
- Nature Writing — The text emphasizes the connection to nature, describing landscapes and natural elements vividly.
- Literary Fiction — The work explores complex themes and character introspection, typical of literary fiction.
Tags
Poetry · Chilean Literature · Autobiographical · Coming-of-Age · Travelogue · Self-Discovery · Latin American Culture · Memoir · Prose Poetry · Stream-of-Consciousness · Introspective · Philosophical
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