The Unhappy One by Pablo Neruda
A man leaves a woman waiting in a doorway and never returns. Years pass; war erupts, destroying children, houses, temple gods, and the whole city to ash and ruin. The woman alone survives, still waiting.
By Pablo Neruda · First published 1974 · Genre: Poetry, Literary Fiction, Existentialism · 198 words
First lines
I left her in the doorway waiting and I went away, away.
She didn't know I would not come back.
A dog passed, a nun passed, a week and a year passed.
The rains washed out my footprints and the grass grew in the street, and one after another, like stones, like gradual stones, the years came down on her head.
Similar titles
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- Time That Wasnt Lost by Pablo Neruda
- What We Accept Without Wanting To by Pablo Neruda
- A Son by Pablo Neruda
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Genres
- Poetry — The work is characterized by its lyrical style, emotional depth, and use of imagery, typical of Neruda's poetic form.
- Literary Fiction — The narrative explores complex themes of love, loss, and the passage of time, which are hallmarks of literary fiction.
- Existentialism — The themes of waiting, despair, and the impact of war reflect existential concerns about human existence and suffering.
- War Literature — The depiction of war and its devastating effects on individuals and society aligns with the characteristics of war literature.
Tags
Poetry · Chilean Literature · Latin American Literature · Love Poems · Melancholy · Sadness · Longing · Desire · Introspection · Self-Discovery · Emotional Turmoil · Inner Conflict
What this Textopian page supports
The Unhappy One is listed on Textopian as a poem by Pablo Neruda, dated 1974 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: 1974 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Literary Fiction, Existentialism, War Literature, Romanticism
- Length: 198 words
- Structure: 1 section, 13 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Unhappy One 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
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