Time That Wasn't Lost
The poem explores the theme of nostalgia and longing for a past time that has been lost. It expresses a deep sense of melancholy and yearning for something that cannot be recovered. The speaker describes a moment in the past when they felt truly alive, but now it's gone and can never be regained.
By Pablo Neruda · First published 1959 · Genre: Poetry, Philosophical, Lyrical · 144 words
First lines
One doesn't count illusions nor bitter realizations, no measure exists to count what couldn't happen for us, what circled like a bumblebee, without our not noticing what we were losing.
To lose until we lose our life is to live our life and our death, and nothing that passes on exists that doesn't give constant proof of the continuous emptiness of all, the silence into which everything falls and, finally, we fall.
O! what came so close that we were never able to know.
O! what was never able to be that maybe could have been.
What this Textopian page supports
Time That Wasn't Lost is listed on Textopian as a poem by Pablo Neruda, dated 1959 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: 1959 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Philosophical, Lyrical, Contemporary, Existential
- Length: 144 words
- Structure: 1 section, 6 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
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Genres
- Poetry — The work is characterized by its lyrical and expressive language, typical of poetry, focusing on emotions and abstract concepts.
- Philosophical — The themes explore existential questions about life, loss, and the nature of reality, aligning with philosophical literature.
- Lyrical — The writing style emphasizes personal reflection and emotional depth, common in lyrical works.
- Contemporary — The themes and style reflect modern concerns and sensibilities, placing it within contemporary literature.
Tags
Poetry · Chilean Literature · Latin American Poetry · Love Poems · Romanticism · Nostalgia · Memory · Longing · Melancholy · Introspection · Personal Reflections · Emotional Depth
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