Essay on "Dulce, Siempre (Sweetness, Always), Pablo Neruda Employs"

Essay 4 pages (1197 words) Sources: 0

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Dulce, Siempre" ("Sweetness, Always"), Pablo Neruda employs several poetic devices to convey a central theme about simplicity. Neruda weaves evocative imagery, extended metaphors, and alliteration into a poetic tapestry. The titular sensation of sweetness remains the anchor holding together the free verse. Moreover, the structure of the poem and its voice are highly personal. The poet establishes a direct connection with the reader, and therefore embodies the main message of "Sweetness, Always." Therefore, "Sweetness, Always" perfectly parallels the narrator's notion that art should be about the simple expression of emotion and not about the gratification of the ego.

The first stanza of the poem includes several rhetorical questions, with the opening line, "Why such harsh machinery?" (line 1). The rhetorical questions establish a personal tone that remains throughout the poem. Moreover, the speaker summarizes the point-of-view that poems are about "the happenings / and people of every day," (lines 2, 3). Poems should speak directly to the reader just as the narrator does in "Sweetness, Always." Poems that are "dressed up in gold" or in "old and grim stone" are out of reach of most readers (lines 4, 5). Imagery of gold and "grim stone" suggests that the poet who uses language that is too lofty misunderstands the meaning of poetry, which is to inspire and sweeten lives. To be "dressed up in gold" suggests that poets often embellish their ideas with language that is inaccessible to the average reader. Therefore, the first stanza of "Sweetness, Always" establishes the theme of poetry being an egalitarian, universal art form.

The second stanza of "Sweetness, Always" develops the main themes. In the second stanza, Neruda also dives into a realm of evocative imagery that enlivens the poem. The poet also employs alliteration to add lyrical depth. For example, the first few lines of the stanza read, "I prefer verses of felt or feather / which scarcely weigh, soft verses," (lines 6, 7). The narrator uses the first person, thus continuing the personal tone of the poem. "Felt or feather" is an alliterative phrase that complements the tangible imagery of both felt and feathers. Furthermore, the passage also serves as a metaphor because both felt and feathers are light and soft. The imagery contrasts with the "harsh machinery" of the first stanza, as the narrator suggests that poems should feel as good as items that are soft, light, and gentle. The narrator extends the softness metaphor to a mundane object used each and every day: a bed. A bed is not only a place of slumber but also a place of love-making: the "intimacy of beds / where people have loved and dreamed," (line 8). Finally, the second stanza concludes with the narrator's strong stance on the purpose of poetry: "I prefer poems stained / by hands and everydayness," (lines 10, 11). The word "stained" directly refers to the bed imagery, as love-making leaves stains in a bed. Neruda deliberately uses dirty diction to underscore the message about making poems more mundane and accessible to the everyday reader.

The third stanza begins the central extended metaphor of sweetness. As a flavor, sweetness is something that all human beings can relate to. Sweetness is also a metaphor, used commonly in the language of love. The poet blends the two concepts of sweetness and love throughout the third stanza. The metaphor of sweetness is also used to suggest that poems should be as direct, simple, and unassuming as pastry "that melt / into milk and sugar in the mouth," (line 12). To suggest that poems should be sweet does not infer… READ MORE

How to Reference "Dulce, Siempre (Sweetness, Always), Pablo Neruda Employs" Essay in a Bibliography

Related Essays:

Influence or Contribution of Pablo Neruda in Politics Thesis

Politics of Pablo Neruda

Pablo Neruda is synonymous with the people's political, cultural, and literary movements of mid twentieth century Chile. Poet, diplomat, Nobel Prize winner, politician and pundit, Neruda… read more

Thesis 6 pages (1541 words) Sources: 7 Style: MLA Topic: Latin America / Mexico / Caribbean

---

Neruda Nathalie Handal Bei Dao Term Paper

Neruda, Nathalie Handal, Bei Dao

War and Politics in the Poetry of Pablo Neruda, Nathalie Handal and Bei Dao

War and politics have always been two pervading themes in literature.… read more

Term Paper 10 pages (3319 words) Sources: 6 Topic: Literature / Poetry

---

Pablo Neruda's "Ode to Wine Essay

Pablo Neruda's "Ode to Wine" is a poem about, well, as the title would suggest, wine.

The speaker of the poem starts by describing the different colors and characteristics of… read more

Essay 2 pages (826 words) Sources: 0 Topic: Literature / Poetry

---

Pablo Escobar Gaviria the Lord of the Drugs Thesis

Pablo Escobar and the War on Drugs

It has often been a centerpiece of conservative American governance to attempt at making inroads to beating substance abuse. Its approach, however, is… read more

Thesis 7 pages (2244 words) Sources: 5 Style: MLA Topic: Drugs / Alcohol / Tobacco

---

Pablo Picasso Term Paper

Pablo Picasso a Spanish painter and sculptor, is being considered as one of the greatest artists of the twentieth century. (Pablo Picasso: Estate of Pablo Picasso / Artists Rights Society)… read more

Term Paper 3 pages (1280 words) Sources: 1+ Topic: Art / Painting / Sculpture

---

View 100+ more related papers  >>