Selected Cronicas

LIGHTNING INTERVIEW WITH PABLO NERUDA (II)

— Does writing make the anguish of living more bearable?

— Yes, of course. Exercising your profession, if you enjoy it, is sheer bliss. Otherwise it is sheer hell.

— Who is God?

— Sometimes everybody. Always nothing.

— How can one best describe a human being?

— Political, poetic. And physical.

— What is your idea of a beautiful woman?

— One who embodies many women.

— Write down your favourite poem, that is to say your favourite poem at this very moment.

— I am writing. Can you spare me ten years?

— Where would you like to live if you were not living in Chile?

— You may think me foolish and excessively patriotic, but as I once stated in a poem:

Were I to be born a thousand times over,

This is where I would wish to be born.

Were I to die a thousand times over,

That is where I would wish to die…

— What has been your greatest satisfaction as a writer?

— To be able to read my verses to ordinary people in the remotest places: to miners in the desert regions of Northern Chile, to wool-shearers in the Magellan Straits in a shed smelling of unwashed wool, sweat and solitude.

— Are your moments of creative inspiration preceded by anguish or a state of grace?

— I experience no such feelings. Yet I would not call myself an insensitive person.

— Say something to surprise me.

— 748.

(And he really did surprise me with the unexpected resonance of those numbers.)

— What are your views on contemporary Brazilian poetry? Which of our poets do you prefer?

— I admire Drummond, Vinicius de Morais and your religious poet, Jorge de Lima, who reminds me of Claudel. I am not familiar with the work of younger poets in Brazil, that is to say poets after the generation of Paulo Mendes Campos and Geir Campos. One poem I greatly admire is ‘O Defunto’ [The Deceased] by Pedro Nava. I read it aloud to friends everywhere.

— How do you feel about literature of commitment?

— All literature is committed.

— Which of your own books do you like best?

— The next one.

— Can you explain why readers often refer to you as ‘The Volcano of Latin America’?

— That is news to me. They have probably never experienced a volcano.

— What is your most recent poem?

– ‘Fim do Mundo’ [End of the World]. It is about the twentieth century.

— How does the creative process develop in your case?

— With pen and paper. At least that is the method I follow.

— Do you find reviews by the critics constructive?

— Perhaps for others, but not for the writer.

— Have you ever written a poem to order? Could you compose one now, however short?

— Lots of them. Some of my best poems. Here is the poem you asked for.

— Was the name Neruda accidental or inspired by Jan Neruda, the poet of the Czech freedom movement?

— No one has ever been able to verify this matter.

— What is the most important thing in the world?

— To try and make the world a worthy place for everyone, not just for the privileged few.

— What do you desire most of all for yourself?

— That depends on the hour of the day.

— What is love? Any type of love?

— The best definition is simply: Love is love.

— Have you suffered much for love?

— I am prepared to suffer even more.

— How long would you like to spend here in Brazil?

— A year, but much depends on my work.

And thus ended my interview with Pablo Neruda. I wish he had been prepared to say more. I could have carried on almost indefinitely even if only to be given the briefest of replies. He offered me a copy of his book: Cien sonetos de amor [One Hundred Love Sonnets]. And after writing my name he wrote: ‘From your friend Pablo’. I, too, felt that we could have become close friends in more favourable circumstances. On the back cover of his book, the blurb says: ‘Everything is manifest with an aura of innocent, pagan sensuality: love is seen as man’s vocation and poetry as his mission.’

Those words sum up the essential qualities of Pablo Neruda.