Love Poems — Pablo Neruda

BOOK REVIEW • “Everything carries me to you, as if everything that exists, aromas, light, metals, were little boats that sail toward those isles of yours that wait for me.”

Re-reading some poems from this collection today and thought I’d share it since we’re almost at Valentine’s Day.

I’m a huge fan of Neruda’s writing (a very problematic fave due to his history of abusing women). The intensity of his metaphors always manage to neutralize my feelings of lovelorn overwhelm or rejection-related despair. He writes about love as if it really can withstand the volatility of life on earth. He describes devotion as an invaluable gift worth welcoming. And he entangles images of nature and warfare with artistic alliteration to produce lyrical poetry that’s tinged with dolour.

A great collection if you want to be swept away by the written word this week!