Sonnet XVII
I don’t love you as if you were the salt-rose, topaz
or arrow of carnations that propagate fire:
I love you as certain dark things are loved,
secretly, between the shadow and the soul.
I love you as the plant that doesn’t bloom and carries
hidden within itself the light of those flowers,
and thanks to your love, darkly in my body
lives the dense fragrance that rises from the earth.
I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where,
I love you simply, without problems or pride:
I love you in this way because I don’t know any other way of loving
but this, in which there is no I or you,
so intimate that your hand upon my chest is my hand,
so intimate that when I fall asleep it is your eyes that close.
-Pablo Neruda Neruda.html
I absolutely love this poem. It is written so beautifully and tenderly that it always stirs my heart and makes me feel content. One of the beautiful aspects of this poem is that his wife inspired Neruda’s writings, so he did not write something just because it sounded good, but because that is how he felt about the one he loved.
Neruda begins the poem by saying why he does not love her, which seems odd, but after reading on it makes more sense. He says that he does not love her as if she was a salt-rose, topaz, or carnation, but he loves her as if she was a plant that does not bloom. This seems to me that he is saying that he does not love her superficially, but he loves her deeply for who she is on the inside. I think this because he says that he does not love her as if she were a flower or gem, which are beautiful things that everyone admires, but as if she were a flower that doesn’t bloom, and no one would admire and love a flower that did not bloom because they could not see the beauty that it contains. I do not think that Neruda is saying that the one he loves is not beautiful; but that he loves her so deeply for the person that she is that the outside does not matter to him.
My favorite parts of this poem are the last two paragraphs. Neruda first writes that he cannot describe where his love for her comes from, but it is so real and pure that it comes naturally to him, and he does not have to think about it. Neruda finishes the poem by saying that he and his love are so intimately intertwined that it is as if they share the same body, and when his eyes close it is as if hers do too. This poem describes a mature, pure, and intensely deep love that connects two people in the most beautiful way.
I love this poem. I feel like Neruda is saying that the best kind of love is the love you can’t explain. You don’t exactly know why you love that person or where the love even came from, but you know its there. my favorite line is, “I love you simply, without problems or pride.” because even though everyone will tell you love is never simple, it really is, it’s love, theres no other words to describe it.
So beautifully put.
At first I didnt much like this poem. But after reading your analysis and understanding the little nuances I found it much more enjoyable. Your comment,”which are beautiful things that everyone admires, but as if she were a flower that doesn’t bloom, and no one would admire and love a flower that did not bloom because they could not see the beauty that it contains” really did hit the nail on the spot. I read that and a light bulb went off in my head. Love can get so tedious when its mainstream. My friend would always buy his girlfriend expensive jewlery. I think thats a good policy for every now and then, but not as frequently as he was doing it. Being creative and playing to your partners personality is always the way to go!
I think that you chose a great poem to write about for this assignment. I have looked at your blogs in the past, and I think that you do a great job at understanding the deeper meaning of the poems you choose. I agree with everything that you are saying, and I can easily relate with what Neruda is saying. I think along with saying that he loves her deeply for who she is, as you said, I also think that when he says “I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where,” he is saying that you can’t choose who you love. There is no reason behind it and you can love anyone for any reasons. You can’t help it if you love someone, if you could things would be so much easier. There is no answer as to why we love, but love is something that can never be replaced.
When I first read this poem, it was a bit scary. It almost seemed as if the narrator was confusing obsession with love. The way the narrator describes his love:
“I love you as certain dark things are loved,
secretly, between the shadow and the soul.”
Comparing love to darkness and secrecy seems as if the narrator does not know how to love, and has only known the darker ways in life. After reading it over a few times it reminded me of the Adams Family. On the surface, The Adams Family are all dead and like the more evil things in life, but deep down, the family loves each other very much.
“I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where,
I love you simply, without problems or pride:
I love you in this way because I don’t know any other way of loving”
This is a confused soul, someone who is trying to explain the feelings they feel for someone that they have never felt before. This poem is sweet in that way. Good choice!!
I absolutely loved this poem. I felt so warm and fuzzy after I read it. It reminded me of wedding vows towards the end. You can clearly tell that Neruda’s love for his wife was very pure and deep and based on who she is not what she looks like. I like the last 2 lines for the poem when he says that when her hand is on his chest its actually his hand and that when he sleeps her eyes are closed. Its a beautiful way to say that they are so close and so deeply in love that they are like one person. I think thats a great way to end the poem. This a beautiful display of love and emotion so strong the reader is moved not matter who they are. Great choice! I think this the first Neruda poem I’ve read. I have heard of him before though. I will definetly read some more of his work. I hope they are as beautifully writen as this one.
Some good comments here, too…
Do you know about our new CD, Poetic License 100 Poems/100 Performers. We persuaded 100 Performers to read their favorite poems, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Patti LuPone, Jason Alexander, etc.
And the great Joanna Gleason reads this Naruda.
http://www.pw.org/content/joanna_gleason_reads_quotsonnet_xviiquot_by_pablo_neruda
You can buy the invidual track on iTunes or the CD on gprrecords.com
I read this poem many a times… each time it seems more warm and precious than the previous time..feels like raindrops and candle light… this poem reminds me of every small little insignificant things that are very dear to me, like my wind chime..
few things, people in our life seems very beautiful not for what they appear to the world but because of their meaning to our very own life.. very truly said .a thing of beauty is joy forever…this beautiful poem reminds me of a very special person and again and again it blesses me with a more beautiful life……….
mephi..I love you as certain dark things are loved,
secretly, between the shadow and the soul…………
To Rainey ( after 3 years)
As Neruda said,
“That time was like never, and like always.
So we go there, where nothing is waiting;
we find everything waiting there. ” …………
i thought the same way *alwaysrambling did…because in the beginnning he says that he loves her as “certain dark things are to be love..between the shadow and the soul” like his love can’t be explain because his love is sooo much that he cant really tell her how much he loves her but instead he rather loves her as dark things are to be love..”in secret” :)) This is a really nice poem and I think everybody should read this poem.
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Reblogged this on simplykaye and commented:
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