Class 10Poem
Poetry
by Pablo Neruda
Pablo Neruda describes the unexpected arrival of poetry in his life. Poetry comes to him mysteriously and transforms his awareness and identity as a poet.
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- The poet remembers the age when poetry came into his life.
- He does not know exactly where or when it came from.
- Poetry is personified as something that 'arrived'.
- The experience is sudden, mysterious and powerful.
- The poet feels summoned by creativity.
- The poem presents poetry as a calling rather than a planned decision.
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Neruda recalls the moment when poetry entered his life. He cannot identify a precise source or time for the experience.
He describes poetry through images of winter, a river, a street and the branches of night. These images suggest that inspiration can come from anywhere and may arrive without warning.
The arrival of poetry changes the speaker’s sense of identity. He experiences creativity as a calling that summons him to write.