Pablo Neruda: Day 2; Poetry Film Project: Day 2

Pablo Neruda: Romance & Revolution (5 min.)

Indeed, as the video mentions, Neruda's poetry focuses on the simple, ordinary overlooked objects of our lives, natural landscapes, the supernatural, the human problem of longing, solitude, and political strife. He spent a good portion of his life in exile, returning to Chile in 1952. He ran for President in 1970, later agreeing to be Allende's advisor.

For more information about Pablo Neruda, you may find this documentary helpful...Pablo Neruda documentary (part one, you can find the other parts online as well.)

OUR TASK (Poetry Film):

Part 1: Select one of the 20 "love" poems in the collection and create a short poetry video that you will share with our class to celebrate Neruda's work.

• You should either read the poem out loud and record your vocal reading - or - 
• Print the poem's lines to be clearly read along with your poetry video.
• Your poem presentation should, like the examples above, show images and photography that visually enhance the experience of reading the poem.

Part 2: Neruda reminds us that a poet's responsibility is to speak out against injustice. Fight for the ordinary moments of human life worth fighting for! To this end, create a poem of your own (this can be included in your visual poetry project, but by no means has to...) in which you speak out against injustice by writing about an ordinary object, describe a natural landscape, or examine the human problem of longing, solitude, and political strife. Use Neruda's style to inspire your own creative work. [Your final Neruda poem draft will be required in your quarter portfolio! but is NOT due necessarily when Part 1 is due.]

HOMEWORK: Complete Pablo Neruda's 20 Love Poems and a Song of Despair. Complete your poetry presentation (and/or original poem draft). This project will be shown to the class on Tuesday, Oct. 15.

You may begin reading Jeanette Winterson's The Stone Gods. At least read part 1 for Thursday, Oct. 17.