Happy Deathday, Mr. Neruda!

On this day in 1973, beloved Chilean poet and 1971 winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for Literature, Pablo Neruda, died of prostate cancer at the age of 69.

Neruda’s impact on other poets cannot be denied and due to the sheer volume of his work, there is little chance of Neruda ever being forgotten. Translations of his work can be found in almost every language and his poetry has been widely featured in popular music, film and even modern literature.  Longing, passion, love… these are all central themes of Neruda’s universally beloved work.

If you are a Neruda fan and have never seen Il Postino, a film released in the nineties, we highly recommend that you go rent it or add it to your Netflix queue right now! The film’s soundtrack is also quite good and features various celebrities reading some of Neruda’s most moving love poetry. 

Our favorite collections of Neruda’s work include World’s End , Crepusculario and On the Blue Shore of Silence: Poems of the Sea, all of which can be found in English. If you are interested in a good biography of Neruda, we suggest a look at his memoirs which was co-written with Hardie St. Martin. It is simply called Memoirs.

This evening, we encourage our single readers to go out there and find your heart’s companion! Take a chance on love and expose your inner passions! For our couples out there…well… dim the lights, pop open a nice cab and read some Neruda to each other… satisfaction guaranteed!

Write on in peace Mr. Neruda!