Pablo Neruda quotes
1904 – 1973 · Chile, 20th century · poet, diplomat, politician and essayist
About Pablo Neruda
Born Ricardo Eliécer Neftalí Reyes Basoalto on 12 July 1904 in Parral, he began publishing as Pablo Neruda in 1920 and legally adopted the name in 1946. A diplomat and Communist senator, he wrote Veinte poemas de amor (1924) and Canto general (1950). His work combines romantic lyricism, modernist experimentation and political commitment.
Works: Crepusculario; Veinte poemas de amor y una canción desesperada; Residencia en la tierra; Canto general
Quotes
“I do not love you as if you were salt-rose, or topaz, or the arrow of carnations the fire shoots off. I love you as certain dark things are to be loved, in secret, between the shadow and the soul.”
Source: Sonnet XVII, One Hundred Love Sonnets, 1959 · Check the source
Verified attributionWhat we know
- What is documented
- The sentence opens Sonnet XVII of Cien sonetos de amor, published by Neruda in 1959.
Neruda rejects ornamental similes and presents love as an inward necessity—private, elemental and almost wordless. This is the opening of Sonnet XVII from One Hundred Love Sonnets (1959), where love is lived between shadow and soul rather than displayed.