Original name:  Neftali Ricardo Reyes Basoalto

Pen name:  Pablo Neruda (derived from czech writer and poet Jan Neruda)

City of birth:  Parral, Chile

Born to:  Father, Jose del Carmen Reyes Morales

             Mother, Rosa Basoalto

Siblings:  Half-sister Laura, Half-brother Rodolfo

First Published Work:  Entusiasmo y perseverancia (age 13)

First Volume of Work:  Crepusculario ("Book of Twilights")

Wife #1:  Maryka Antonieta Hagenaar Vogelzang

Children:  Daughter, Malva Marina Trinidad (1943-1943)

Wife #2:  Delia del Carril

Wife #3:  Matilde Urrutia

Accolades:  Nobel Prize (1971)

                  Stalin Peace Prize (1953)

                  Presidential Nomination (1970)

Died:  September 23, 1973

City of death:  Santiago, Chile

 

Pablo Neruda was born into poverty, his mother being a schoolteacher and his father being a railway worker.  Neruda's mother died 2 months after he was born, and his father was never supportive of his interest in writing.  This did not stop him from persuing his dream, however, as he was an accomplished writer by the age of 16.

 

Neruda first aspired to study French at the Universidad de Chile, with the hopes of becoming a teacher.  It was not soon after starting his education at the University that he devoted all of his time to the composition of poetry.  Out of desperation for money, Neruda accepted a diplomatic service as an honorart consulship, which broght him to many areas of the country he had never heard of.  It was on one of these services that he met his first wife.

 

Neruda found his first taste of politics for the first time when Spain became consumed by a civil war in the mid 1930's.  It was also during this period that he became a prominent communist, and wrote many works showing his support for Spain.  One of these works was called Espana en el corazon (Spain in my heart).  In 1938, Neruda was appointed the task of of shipping 2000 Spanish refugees to Chile, considering it one of the noblest missions he has ever had.

 

Over the next five years, Neruda was associated with many important figures which prompted some unique and well known works, including Mexican painter David Alfaro Siqueiros and Macchu Picchu.  He also took and interest in the Stalinism way of life, particularily for the role it played in defeating Nazi Germany, and was awarded the Stalin Peace Prize in 1953 for his works in reflection of this dedication.

 

Neruda was also a Senator for the communist party for a short time, being appointed this position on March 4, 1945.  He held office for only 3 years, when a communist party leader he vigorously campaigned for turned against the party when appointed office.  Neruda's frustration culminated in January of 1948 when he publicly called Yo Accuso (I accuse), calling out the president to the Chilean senate.  This would prove to be the end of his reign in office.

 

Only a matter of weeks after the reading of his speech, Neruda went into hiding in fear of retaliation from the government.  He spent 13 months in hiding, being moved from house to house of those in support of him and his views.  During this time, the Communist party was banned altogether.  In March, 1949, Neruda fled to Argentina via the Andes Mountains, escaping his country in exile.  This venture almost took the life of Neruda.

 

Neruda was welcome to return to Chile after the deterioration of the Gonzalez-Videla government due to corruption scandals, and was again asked to support the campaign of a presidential nominee.  He even spent a short time as the ambassador to France for the current president.  Neruda composed many works opposint U.S. warfare in the 1960's, including the Cuban missile crisis and the Vietnam war.  He was banned from the U.S. for being a communist, however was still granted a visa to travel to New York and speak at the peace conference. 

 

Neruda was nominated as a candidate to the Chilean presidency in 1970, however did not pursue the position.  The nobel prize was awarded to Neruda in 1971, reluctantly to some as his prior praise to Stalin was considered.  Neruda was terminally ill in 1973 with prostate cancer, when his home was looted by the Chilean armed forces in attempts to destroy his hopes for a Marxist government.  It was during this raid that he famously stated "Look around-there's only one thing of danger for you here-poetry."  He died a short time after of heart failure.

 

Neruda's influence echoed with his passing.  Thousands of supporters flooded the streets to pay homage to his life, directly opposing a curfew set forth by the government.  Many took the opportunity to rebel against the Pinochet regime, the same in which Neruda stood for.  Pablo Neruda is considered by many to be "The greatest poet of his time in any language."