Pablo Neruda

A Chilean singer, Matilde Urrutia was hired to care for him during his exile, and he started having an affair with her. This eventually culminated in marriage and she even became his ‘muse’ for one of his works.

After returning to Chile from exile, he got back with his wife, del Carril, but the marriage began to disintegrate. She eventually learned of his affair with Urrutia and Neruda went back to Urrutia, with whom he would live for the rest of his life.

Neftali Ricardo Reyes Basoalto (Pablo Neruda) was born in Parral, Chile. His father worked with the railroad whereas his mother was a teacher, who died shortly after his birth.

When he was a teenager, he began writing a number of poems and articles that were first published in the daily, ‘La Manana’.

In 1920, he began writing for the ‘Selva Austral’ under the pseudonym, Pablo Neruda, a name he derived from the name of the Czech poet, Jan Neruda.

In 1923, he sold all of his belongings to back the publication of his first book, ‘Crepusculario’ (Book of Twilights) under his penname. He used the alias in order to evade skirmishes with his family, who objected to making writing his occupation.

He also published a collection of love poems that became controversial for its amatory themes titled, ‘Viente poemas de amor y una cancion desesperada’ (Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair), in 1924. A second edition was also published much later. By the age of 20, he had established himself as a sound poet, but he was facing extreme poverty.

In 1926, ‘Tentativa del hombre infinito’ (The trying of infinite man) and ‘Tentativa y su esperanza’ (The inhabitant and his hope); a collection and a novel, respectively, were published.

Out of financial anxiety, he took up honorary consulship in Rangoon, which was then a part of Burma, and isolated himself from people where he experimented with different kinds of poetry.

In 1933, he penned the first of the three volumes of a poetry collection, ‘Residencia En La Tierra’ (Residence on Earth), which would later spawn two more volumes.

‘Viente poemas de amor y una cancion desesperada’ (Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair)’, published in 1924 was his second published work and established his name as a poet. This work, although controversial, came to be known as one of his greatest works and has been translated into various languages. The ‘poemas’ has sold over a million copies around the world and although it was his early work, it is largely considered his ‘best-known work’.