Wandering Albatross by Pablo Neruda
The poem explores the idea of a person being haunted by their past actions and memories. The speaker describes themselves as an albatross, a symbol of good luck but also a burden to carry. They are weighed down by the guilt and shame of their past, which they cannot escape. The poem is a reflection on the human condition, exploring themes of identity, morality, and the consequences of one's actions.
By Pablo Neruda · First published 1950 · Genre: Poetry, Nature Writing, Symbolism · 82 words
First lines
Diomedea exulans
The wind sails the open sea steered by the albatross that glides, falls, dances, climbs, hangs motionless in the fading light, touches the waves' towers, settles down in the disorderly element's seething mortar while the salt crowns it with laurels and the furious foam hisses, skims the waves with its great symphonic wings, leaving above the tempest a book that flies on forever: the statute of the wind.
What this Textopian page supports
Wandering Albatross 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, Nature Writing, Symbolism, Romanticism, Modernism
- Length: 82 words
- Structure: 1 section, 2 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Difficult (College Level)
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Similar titles
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Genres
- Poetry — The work is characterized by its lyrical and expressive language, typical of poetry.
- Nature Writing — The poem vividly describes the albatross and its relationship with the sea, emphasizing natural imagery.
- Symbolism — The albatross serves as a symbol of freedom and the human experience, reflecting deeper themes.
- Romanticism — The emotional depth and appreciation for nature align with Romantic literary themes.
Tags
Poetry · Latin American Literature · Chilean Poetry · Love Poems · Nature Imagery · Symbolism · Free Verse · Lyrical · Contemplative · Melancholic · Introspective · Imagist
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