Pablo Neruda
1904–1973 · Chilean (Parral/Santiago/Isla Negra) · 20th Century Latin American Poetry
Known for: Most widely read poet of the 20th century—Twenty Love Poems, Canto General. Nobel Prize 1971
Pablo Neruda was a volcanic personality—passionate about poetry, politics, love, food, and collecting. He was a Communist senator, a diplomat, and a refugee from Pinochet's coup who may have been poisoned by the regime's agents. His love poetry is among the most sensuous ever written; his political poetry among the most passionate.
Born Ricardo Eliécer Neftalí Reyes Basoalto, he adopted a pen name as a teenager. He was a legend in Latin America—people would recite his poems to him on the street. His Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair, written at 19, remains one of the bestselling poetry collections ever.
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