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Sweetness, Always
Why such harsh machinery? Why, to write down the stuff and people of every day, must poems be dressed up in
gold, in old and fearful stone? I want verses of felt or feather which scarcely weigh, mild verses with the
intimacy of beds where people have loved and dreamed. I want poems stained by hands and everydayness. Verses of pastry
which melt into milk and sugar in the mouth, air and water to drink, the bites and kisses of love. I long for eatable sonnets,
poems of honey and flour. Vanity keeps prodding us to lift ourselves skyward or to make deep and useless tunnels underground.
So we forget the joyous love-needs of our bodies. We forget about pastries. We are not feeding the world. In Madras a long
time since, I saw a sugary pyramid, a tower of confectionery- one level after another, and in the construction, rubies, and
other blushing delights, medieval and yellow. Someone dirtied his hands to cook up so much sweetness. Brother poets from here and
there, from earth and sky, from Medellin, from Veracruz, Abyssinia, Antofagasta, do you know the recipe for honeycombs?
Let's
forget all about that stone. Let your poetry fill up the equinoctial pastry shop our mouths long to devour-all the children's
mouths and the poor adults' also.
Don't go on without seeing, relishing, understanding all these hearts of sugar. Don't
be afraid of sweetness. With us or without us, sweetness will go on living and is infinitely alive, forever being revived,
for it's in a man's mouth,
whether he's eating or singing,that sweetness has its place.
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INTERPRETATION
This poem to me conveys an important message of protest toward the struggles
face at the time by Pablo Neruda in his country of Chile. The theme shows both disregard toward the operation of the
government, as well as the dissociation between fellow poets and their unwillingness to confront the injustice present.
This poem is unique in writing as it is not the typical style for this author. Neruda is best know for his love sonnets
and poetry of beauty, however has gained great respect and recognition for poems of this nature as they are challenging the
authority of the time.
The first stanza of the poem asks "Why such harsh machinery?," and this may be directly interpreted toward the military
and police presence at the time. The "machinery" may be referring to the military vehicles and weapons supported by
those who operate them. Three lines later, the author suggests "must poems be dressed up in gold, in old and fearful
stone?" This again may be a direct translation to the military forces, as high ranking officials donned uniforms containing
a strong gold influence. The "old and fearful stone" may be a representation of the jewelery worn by these officials.
The supporting stanzas following contain an extended metaphor, with a strong comparison of poetry to pastries and sweetness.
In interpreting the message contained, it would suggest that the author is calling to his fellow poets and asking why the
focus of poetry and art are currently of no substance. He speaks of a "sugary pyramid," which he witnessed in Madras
a "Long time since." "someone dirtied his hands to cook up so much sweetness." This line is very important in
relating art to sweetness, and suppots the message that the author feels the quality of art is not as strong as it once was.
Mr. Neruda requests "Let's forget about that stone." "Don't be afraid of sweetness." This would seem to be
a request to all who read this poem to not be compromised by what is happening around you. The author seems to be stating
that he wishes to see the beauty and eloquence of the world exploited once again, as opposed to the artistry of vanity and
social influence which appear to be plaguing the scene at the time.
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