Neruda

Neruda is the literary name of Neftalí Reyes Basoalto (1904–1973), a Chilean poet, diplomat and politician. He adopted the pen name Pablo Neruda in 1921, a change he later made permanent. Born in Parral, Chile, he rose to prominence in the 1920s and became one of the most influential poets of the Spanish-speaking world. In 1971 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Neruda’s early work blends personal lyricism with a growing sense of social awareness. His first books, including Crepusculario (1923) and Veinte poemas de amor y una canción desesperada (1924), established his reputation as a master of vivid imagery and emotional intensity. Over time his poetry expanded to address broader political and historical themes, while maintaining a distinctive musicality and openness to experimentation.

Among his major later works are Residencia en la tierra (1933–1935) and Canto General (1950). Residencia en la tierra marks a shift toward surreal, introspective and existential imagery, while Canto General presents a sweeping epic of Latin American history, landscape and identity, integrating folk memory with modern political consciousness. Neruda’s style ranges from intimate elegy to expansive, public verse.

Neruda was also active as a diplomat and a politician. A longtime member of the Chilean Communist Party, he served in various public roles, including a period as a senator and later as Chile’s ambassador to France in the early 1970s. His poetry, political engagement and international stature left a lasting imprint on 20th-century literature, and his work continues to be widely read and translated.