Hispanic Poets

Poetry is an act of peace. Peace goes into the making of a poet as flour goes into the making of bread.
--Pablo Neruda 

Pablo Neruda is considered by many to be the foremost twentieth century poet of Latin America. Born in Chile in 1904, he was a contemporary of fellow Chilean poets Gabriela Mistral and Federico Lorca Garcia. Neruda’s poetry, known for its lush imagery and passionate celebration of nature, has been embraced the world over. Neruda also served as a diplomat and senator, so accordingly political themes infuse much of his work. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1971. Neruda died under mysterious circumstances in 1973, but his gorgeous verse remains.

From Sonnet Xxxiv (You are the Daughter of the Sea)  

...Your eyes go out toward the water, and the waves rise; 

your hands go out to the earth and the seeds swell; 

you know the deep essence of water and the earth,

conjoined in you like a formula for clay... 

 

Don’t let the hand you hold, hold you down.
--Julia de Burgos

Julia de Burgos

Julia de Burgos (February 17, 1914 – July 6, 1953) was not only one of the most famous poets to emerge from Puerto Rico, she was a force of of activism for women's rights. Her poetry ranges from fierce reflections on identity to odes to the beauty of her island surroundings.  Although she died at the tragically young age of thirty-nine, her she is widely regarded as an icon of independence.

El Mar y Tú  

La carrera del mar sobre mi puerta 

es sensación azul entre mis dedos, 

y tu salto impetuoso por mi espíritu 

es no menos azul, me nace eterno...

The Sea and You 

The stroke of the sea upon my door 

is blue sensation between my toes, 

and your impetuous leap through my spirit 

is no less blue, an eternal birth...

For a selection of books by other Hispanic poets available at WPL, including Worcester's own Poet Laureate Juan Matos, click here.