The Sadder Century by Pablo Neruda
This collection of poems explores the poet's disillusionment with the modern world and its values. The speaker laments the loss of traditional ways of life, the rise of urbanization, and the dehumanizing effects of industrialization. Through vivid imagery and powerful metaphors, the poet conveys a sense of despair and hopelessness, critiquing the emptiness and superficiality of contemporary society.
By Pablo Neruda · First published 1950 · Genre: Poetry, Literary Fiction, Social Commentary · 197 words
First lines
The century of émigrés, the book of homelessness- gray century, black book.
This is what I ought to leave written in the open book, digging it out from the century, tinting the pages with spilled blood.
I lived the abundance of those lost in the jungle: in the jungle of punishment.
I counted the cutoff hands and the mountains of ash and the fragmented cries and the without-eyes glasses and the headless hair.
What this Textopian page supports
The Sadder Century is listed on Textopian as a poem by Pablo Neruda, dated 1950 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: 1950 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Literary Fiction, Social Commentary, Historical Reflection, Existential Literature
- Length: 197 words
- Structure: 1 section, 10 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
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- Work identity for The Sadder Century 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
- The Seeker by Pablo Neruda
- The Unknown One by Pablo Neruda
- And So From Night To Night by Pablo Neruda
- Ode To Time by Pablo Neruda
- Oblivion by Pablo Neruda
- It Is Not Necessary by Pablo Neruda
Genres
- Poetry — The work is written in a poetic style, utilizing imagery and emotional depth characteristic of poetry.
- Literary Fiction — The themes of homelessness, loss, and existential reflection align with the conventions of literary fiction.
- Social Commentary — The text addresses social issues such as displacement and the human condition, making it a form of social commentary.
- Historical Reflection — The references to a century of émigrés and historical suffering suggest a focus on historical context.
Tags
Poetry · Latin American Literature · 20th Century · Chilean Poetry · Love Poems · Melancholic · Nostalgic · Introspective · Philosophical · Existential Crisis · Human Condition · Sorrowful
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