By Pablo Neruda
1924
You are the daughter of the sea, oregano’s first cousin.
Swimmer,
your body is pure as the water;
cook, your
blood is quick as the soil.
Everything
you do is full of flowers, rich with the earth.
Your eyes go
out toward the water, and the waves rise;
your hands
go out to the earth and the seeds swell;
you know the
deep essence of water and the earth,
conjoined in
you like a formula for clay.
Naiad: cut your body into turquoise pieces,
they will
bloom resurrected in the kitchen.
This is how
you become everything that lives.
And so at
last, you sleep, in the circle of my arms
that push
back the shadows so that you can rest –
vegetables,
seaweed, herbs: the foam of your dreams.
OVERVIEW
This poem was
first published in 1924 in Neruda’s collection of love poems, “Twenty Love Poems
and a Song of Despair”. It captures the beauty and power found in the natural
world. The poem is dedicated to a young woman who is compared to the sea, with
its flows, its waves and tides, its vastness and mystery.
ANALYSIS
You are
the daughter of the sea, oregano’s first cousin.
Metaphor: The poem begins with the metaphor “You
are the daughter of the sea”. Here, the speaker is not literally saying the
person is born from the sea, but he's implying a deep connection between the
individual and the vastness, mystery, and depth of the sea. This metaphor is
sustained throughout the poem, emphasizing the person's affinity with water and
nature.
“.. oregano’s
first cousin.” is a metaphorical expression that emphasizes the close relationship
between the person being described and nature, particularly the sea. In this
metaphor, the sea is depicted as a parent ("daughter of the sea"),
and oregano, a fragrant herb, is liked by a family member ("oregano's
first cousin"). By comparing the person to oregano’s cousin, the poet
suggests a familial, intimate, and natural connection between the person and
the sea.
Swimmer,
your body is pure as the water;
cook,
your blood is quick as the soil.
Simile: The line, "Swimmer, your body
is pure as the water," contains a simile. In this case, the purity of the
swimmer's body is being compared to the purity of water. This comparison
suggests that the swimmer possesses qualities such as cleanliness, clarity, and
freshness, which are often associated with pure water.
Metaphor: The second part of the line,
"cook, your blood is as quick as the soil," contains a metaphor. This
metaphor implies that the cook's blood is as essential and life-giving as the
soil. It suggests a connection between the cook's vitality and the fertility,
richness, and life-sustaining qualities of the soil.
Everything
you do is full of flowers, rich with the earth.
Personification: The line personifies the actions of
the individual by suggesting that these actions are "full of
flowers." By attributing human actions to qualities of nature, the poet
elevates these actions, emphasizing their beauty and naturalness. It also
suggests a harmonious relationship between the person and the natural world,
emphasizing a deep connection to the earth.
Your eyes
go out toward the water, and the waves rise;
Personification: The poet personifies the eyes and
hands of the person, attributing human qualities and actions to these body parts.
When it says, "Your eyes go out toward the water, and the waves rise; your
hands go out to the earth and the seeds swell," the poet is metaphorically
describing the person's gaze and touch. The eyes "going out toward the
water" and the hands "going out toward the earth" suggest a
deliberate, purposeful interaction with nature. By personifying these body
parts, the poet emphasizes the person's active engagement with the natural
elements.
your hands
go out to the earth and the seeds swell;
Metaphor: The lines contain a metaphorical
comparison between the person's actions and the natural processes. The phrase
"your eyes go out toward the water, and the waves rise" suggests that
the person's focus or attention on the water causes a reaction, symbolized by
the rising waves. Similarly, "your hands go out to the earth and the seeds
swell" implies that the person's touch or care for the earth leads to the
growth and development of seeds. These metaphors convey the idea that the
person has a nurturing, life-giving influence on the natural world, as if their
gaze and touch have the power to stimulate growth and movement in the elements.
the deep
essence of water and the earth
Metaphor: The phrase "the deep essence of
water and the earth" contains a metaphor. Here, water and earth are not
meant to be understood in their literal sense but represent deeper symbolic
meanings. Water often symbolizes emotions, intuition, and the subconscious
mind, while earth symbolizes stability, practicality, and the tangible aspects
of life. By referring to these elements as the "deep essence," the
poet suggests an intimate understanding of profound aspects of existence, such
as emotions and the tangible world.
conjoined
in you like a formula for clay.
Simile: The comparison "conjoined in
you like a formula for clay" is a simile, as it uses the word
"like" to establish the comparison. The simile compares the
conjoining of water and earth within the individual to a "formula for
clay." Clay, being a mixture of water and earth, symbolizes the fusion of
emotions and practicality, creativity and stability. This comparison emphasizes
the harmonious blending of these elements within the person, suggesting balance
and completeness.
Naiad: cut
your body into turquoise pieces,
they will
bloom resurrected in the kitchen.
Chiasmus: In the first part of the sentence,
the focus is on the action of cutting the body into turquoise pieces, creating
a vivid and powerful image. In the second part, the focus shifts to the result
of this action, where the turquoise pieces metaphorically "bloom
resurrected in the kitchen." The reversal of the phrases in the second
part creates a balanced and symmetrical structure, enhancing the poetic impact
of the lines.
This is
how you become everything that lives.
Hyperbole: The statement "This is how you
become everything that lives" employs hyperbole, exaggerating the
transformative process. The person is not literally becoming everything that
lives, but the exaggeration emphasizes the profound impact of the
transformation, suggesting a deep and all-encompassing connection to life.
And so at
last, you sleep, in the circle of my arms
that push
back the shadows so that you can rest –
vegetables,
seaweed, herbs: the foam of your dreams.
Synecdoche: By referring to the arms in the phrase
“in the circle of my arms”, the poet is implying the encompassing nature
of the speaker's embrace. The arms encircle and protect the person being
addressed, symbolizing the full scope of the speaker's affection and the sense
of security and comfort that the embrace provides.
Metonymy: The line "vegetables, seaweed,
herbs: the foam of your dreams" uses metonymy by referring to the person's
dreams as "foam." Foam is associated with the sea, connecting the
person's dreams to their origin, reinforcing the metaphorical connection to the
sea mentioned earlier in the poem.
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