To Everyone, To You Liam Paup, Mattias Tung, Vidhi Singh, Eric Zeng

Historical Context ◎ 1943: Neruda returns to Chile, joins the Communists ◎ 1948:Neruda exiled from Chilean senate ◎ 1952: Government welcomes Neruda back ◎ Third marriage, International peace prize, and more

◎ Canto General (1950): expression of political views ◎ Includes themes of the common man ◎ Considered one of his greatest works ◎ “Epic of an entire continent and its people” ◎ The song of a continent as much as it is Neruda’s own song ◎ Influenced by Walt Whitman Cultural context

Walt Whitman ◎ American poet who wrote Leaves of Grass, his collection of stories and works ◎ Acceptance of all things: doesn’t judge, likes death as much as he likes birth ◎ Equality: Believed that for there to be peace, slave and slave-owner had to “understand one another” ◎ Based around nature, key themes include open sexuality and sexual imagery (he got fired from his job because his boss was offended) ◎ Celebratory: Whitman celebrates himself, everyone else, most seen in Song of Myself ◎ Lincoln fan: Really liked Abe Lincoln, was the author of O Captain my Captain (which was uncharacteristic of his typical poems) ◎ Lived and died in the 19th century, would influence Neruda

“To everyone, to you”

Personifying Chile as the speaker, Neruda alludes to Chilean landscape and culture in a Whitmanesque manner, illustrating his hopes for his country. Dominant Effect

1 To everyone, to you, silent beings of the night who took my hand in the darkness, to you, lamps, 5 of immortal light, star lines, bread of the living, secret brothers, to everyone, to you, I say: there’s no thanks, nothing could fill the cups 10 of purity, nothing can contain all of the sun in the flags of the invincible springtime like your quiet dignities. Universality and Syntax:  2nd Person POV  Addresses everyone  Emphasizes the universality of both audience and his ideas  Connectedness and unity between everyone Repetition:  A common literary device in this poem  Stresses the significance of this unity as a whole Dark Imagery: -Words such as: silent, night, darkness, nothing, quiet -Create a negative mood Light Imagery: -Words such as: lamps, light, star, living, sun, invincible -Creates a positive mood Contrast: -Clear contrast between the two different tones -Shows how the speaker is not only addressing one type of person, but the other as well -Followed by repetition of “to everyone to you” -Shows the unity, again Unity: -Everyone -Fill the cups of purity -All of the sun in the flags Dignity: -Dignity: “a sense of pride in oneself; self- respect” -Flags: A symbol of identity and self-pride -Sun refers to the brightness + pride -Chile is not identified by flags, but instead, the people

15 Only I’m thinking maybe I’ve been worthy of so much simplicity, of a flower so pure, maybe I’m you, that’s right, 20 that essence, flour and song of earth, that natural kneading that knows where it comes from and where it belongs. Isolation: -Illustrates the speakers isolation, how he’s trying to get others to call to action. Conversational Tone: -The speaker includes lines such as “I’m thinking” and “That’s right” -He contemplates the possibilities with the repetition of “maybe” -Helps persuade the reader to follow Metaphor of You: -According to the speaker, you are the essence, the flour, and the song of earth -“Beings of the night” (2) -“Bread of the living” (6) -Refers to “springtime” (13) -Who is this “you”? ;) Simplicity: -Living in a very natural zone (lines 20-25) -Whitman -Meaning: No need to follow under the influence of imperialism and its chaos

I’m no distant bell nor a crystal buried so deep 25 you can’t figure it out, I’m just the people, hidden door, dark bread and when you receive me you receive yourself in your very self, in that guest beaten so many times 30 and so many times reborn. Metaphor  Comparison to a bell and crystal  “disant” and “buried deep” imply that the speaker is close and connected with others  Emphasizes the social connectedness Metaphor + Allusion - Extension on past metaphor  Speaker is with the people  Emphasizes a nationalism and connection  “hidden door” and “bread” allude to the lifestyle of a common Chilean Repetition  Emphasize the connectedness that the speaker is establishing between itself and the audience, or Chileans Repetition - Emphasizes the resilience of the people  Juxtapose “beaten” and “reborn”  Chile will rise again

To all and everyone, to all I don’t know, who’ll never hear this name, to those who live 35 along our long rivers, at the foot of volcanoes, in the sulphuric copper shadow, to fishermen and peasants, to blue indians on the shore of lakes sparkling like glass, 40 to the shoemaker who at this moment questions, nailing leather with ancient hands, to you, to whomever without knowing it has waited for me, I belong and recognize and sing. Nature Imagery  Very Whitman like  Highlight aspects of Chilean scenery  Connection with nature in wake of political events that impacted Neruda  Addresses the common man-- ”shoemaker,” “fishermen,” “peasants” Consonance  “g” sound  Establishes a unity Allusion  Whitman poem “I Hear America Singing” Speaker + Alliteration  Speaker is Chile personified  “whomever,” ” without,” “waited”  Emphasize a persistence

“I Hear America Singing” vs. “To everyone, to you” I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear, Those of mechanics, each one singing his as it should be blithe and strong,... The boatman singing what belongs to him in his boat, the deckhand singing on the steamboat deck, The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench, the hatter singing as he stands,.... Singing with open mouths their strong melodious songs. to those who live along our long rivers,...to fishermen and peasants, to blue indians on the shore …. to the shoemaker who at this moment questions, nailing leather with ancient hands,... belong and recognize and sing. I  Imagery of the common man--”boatman” vs. “fishermen,” “shoemaker”  Nature imagery  Embrace the world as it is  Nationalism

Neruda vs. Whitman Neruda ◎ Metaphorical ◎ Vertical usage of space ◎ Referentiality > Construction/Mu sicality ◎ Interpreted by those who read ◎ Seize life without hierarchies Whitman ◎ Metonymic, representative things ◎ Horizontal usage of space ◎ Referentiality > Construction/Mu sicality ◎ History and human presence ◎ Seize life without hierarchies

Creative Interpretation ◎ Neruda’s poem is a celebration of nature while Whitman celebrates multiple interpretations ◎ We want to include your interpretation of the poem, as well! ◎ The following image has the various images Neruda writes about in lines ◎ On a piece of paper or using an Expo pen add your group's interpretation

Works Cited Rumeau, Delphine. "Walt Whitman and Pablo Neruda, American Camerados." Cairn.info. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov "Pablo Neruda." Poetry Foundation. Poetry Foundation, n.d. Web. 16 Nov "Pablo Neruda." Poets.org. Academy of American Poets, n.d. Web. 16 Nov