11 Must-Read Chilean Poems

Chilean poetry has a long and impressive history shaped by poets such as Pablo Neruda, Gabriela Mistral, and Vicente Huidobro. These writers, and others, are known for their passionate verse, contributions to the avant-garde movement, and their use of innovative styles and elements.

Pablo Neruda is the best-known Chilean poet in the country’s history. He’s often referred to as the “poet of the people,” and his many poems deal with love, political activism, and more. They’re read worldwide, particularly in his ‘Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair’ collection.

Another well-known Chilean poet is Gabriela Mistra, who is best known for being the first Latin American to win the Nobel Prize for literature. Her poems explore themes like the human condition and are widely read, as well. Her poems include ‘Fear‘ and ‘Give Me Your Hand.’

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Keeping Quiet

by Pablo Neruda

‘Keeping Quiet’ by Pablo Neruda is an incredibly thoughtful poem that stands out among Neruda’s many love poems. It takes a unique approach to the human condition and how “we” don’t understand ourselves.

Pablo Neruda is one of the best-known Chilean poets in history. His work is widely read and is generally considered to be exceptional. This poem is certainly among his best pieces and should be regarded as one of the best poems in Chilean history.

Now we will count to twelve

and we will all keep still

for once on the face of the earth,

let's not speak in any language;

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A Night on the Island

by Pablo Neruda

‘A Night on the Island’ by Pablo Neruda is a lyric poem about intimacy between partners in a romantic relationship.

'A Night on the Island,' as part of Neruda's collection 'The Captain's Verses,' is celebrated as one of the best written love poems in modern Spanish literature. As such, it is quite popular (perhaps as its original version) among the Chilean public, especially given its backstory. Courtesy of the English translation, the poem is also popular amongst an international audience as well.

The whole night long I have slept with you

next to the sea, on the island.

You were wild and gentle between pleasure and dreams,

between fire and water.

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Ode to Hope

by Pablo Neruda

‘Ode to Hope’ by Pablo Neruda is a short poem which uses the image of the sun rising over the sea to relate a message of hope.

The Chilean public is familiar with 'Ode to Hope' alongside most of Neruda's odes that were published in the 1950s. Then, it was popular for its messaging given the social context of the time and its target audience (the masses). Even now, Neruda's odes as a whole are still very popular for elevating the common people, whether directly or indirectly, and ideas like that of hope. Today, as its themes are more universal, 'Ode to Hope' has been analyzed and reprinted across other international platforms.

Oceanic dawn

at the center

of my life,

waves like grapes,

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Your Laughter

by Pablo Neruda

Pablo Neruda’s ‘Your Laughter’ is a lyric poem portraying how much the speaker values his partner’s laughter.

'Your Laughter' is very popular among Chilean literary circles, both in its original Spanish and in its translations. It is popular by virtue of the poet himself, his well-documented life story, and, of course, his mastery of poetry. Today, its translations are studied among an international audience in school curricula.

Take bread away from me, if you wish,

take air away, but

do not take from me your laughter.

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If You Forget Me

by Pablo Neruda

‘If You Forget Me’ speaks directly to the speaker’s lover, warning her what will happen if she falls out of love with him.

Pablo Neruda was a Chilean poet, and both his personal life and national identity influenced much of his work. While ‘If You Forget Me’ reads like a love poem to a partner, many believe it can also be read as a message to Chile. At the time, Neruda had been forced into exile, and the poem could reflect his strong emotional tie to his country and the pain of being away from it.

If suddenly

you forget me

do not look for me,

for I shall already have forgotten you.

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One Hundred Love Sonnets: XVII

by Pablo Neruda

‘One Hundred Love Sonnets: XVII’ by Pablo Neruda describes the love he feels and how it surpasses any previous definition of what love could be.

This poem is deeply connected to Chile, the poet’s homeland, where Pablo Neruda lived and wrote much of his poetry. His writing often reflected his passion for his country and the people in it. Even though he dedicated 'One Hundred Love Sonnets: XVII' to his wife, the cultural and emotional ties to Chile can be felt through the warmth and affection in his words.

I don’t love you as if you were a rose of salt, topaz,

or arrow of carnations that propagate fire:

I love you as one loves certain obscure things,

secretly, between the shadow and the soul.

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Love Sonnet XI

by Pablo Neruda

‘Love Sonnet XI’ by Pablo Neruda presents passionate longing and consuming desire through sensual imagery and intense metaphors.

'Love Sonnet XI' is distinguishably Chilean as it is written by one of the greatest Chilean poets, Pablo Neruda. Neruda asserted his distinct Chilean identity, and his poems bear a mark of that identity as he often uses landscapes or settings that one might find in Chile. 'Love Sonnet XI' retains a particular Chilean mark as it refers to the 'puma in the barrens of Quitratue'; Quitratue is a village in southern Chile.

I crave your mouth, your voice, your hair.

Silent and starving, I prowl through the streets.

Bread does not nourish me, dawn disrupts me, all day

I hunt for the liquid measure of your steps.

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Poetry, Poem

by Pablo Neruda

‘Poetry’ by Pablo Neruda captures the moment of the speaker’s first encounter with poetic inspiration that led to a spiritual awakening.

Neruda was deeply connected with his Chilean roots and often asserted his Chilean identity. This poem, originally published in Spanish, is part of his 1964 collection 'Memorial de Isla Negra' or 'Isla Negra: A Notebook,' which is like an autobiography of Neruda as a poet. Significantly, Isla Negra is a coastal area in central Chile. Neruda has often mentioned the impact of his Chilean roots and life in Chile in his poetry.

And it was at that age ... Poetry arrived

in search of me. I don't know, I don't know where

it came from, from winter or a river.

I don't know how or when,

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Gautama Christ

by Pablo Neruda

‘Gautama Christ’ by Pablo Neruda is a poem showcasing the hope and violence that religion, Christianity specifically, inspires.

'Gautama Christ' speaks well to the Chilean public, much like Pablo Neruda's other poems commenting on political violence and social changes as a result of globalization. Beyond Chile, however, the poem's popularity expands to the rest of the world which is also familiar with the events alluded to in 'Gautama Christ.' In recent years, the poem has been published and analyzed on websites much like this one.

The names of God and especially those of His representative
Who is called Jesus or Christ according to holy books and
someone's mouth
These names have been used, worn out and left

#10

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And Because Love Battles

by Pablo Neruda

‘And Because Love Battles’ by Pablo Neruda is about a social battle, two lovers fight for unification. This poem presents the theme of love and its power to break through all the obligations.

And because love battles

not only in its burning agricultures

but also in the mouth of men and women,

I will finish off by taking the path away

#11

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I Like For You To Be Still

by Pablo Neruda

Neruda’s ‘I Like For You To Be Still’ is one of the many striking love poems he wrote throughout his lifetime.

I like for you to be still

It is as though you are absent

And you hear me from far away

And my voice does not touch you

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11 Must-Read Chilean Poems

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