Poetry and Politics

Running Head : Pablo Neruda

Pablo Neruda : Poetry and Politics

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Abstract

The poetry of Chilean poet Pablo Neruda evolved from symbolist , to surrealist and eventually to realist . But his poem United Fruit Co . is a union of these three styles . This creative approach in writing has resulted in the poem being one of the most well-known criticisms of American imperialism in Latin America

Pablo Neruda : Poetry and Politics

The works of Chilean poet Pablo Neruda (1904-1973 ) were characterized with a thematic

evolution from early erotic poetry that focused on his personal passions to poetry that expressed his political opinions . The style , meanwhile , shifted from symbolist (the usage of symbols or suggestions to express ideas , feelings and values ) to surrealist (emphasis on the unconscious ) and later on to realist (the adaptation of simpler expressions (MSN Encarta , 2008 . Neruda 's poem United Fruit Co , however , is a combination of these three styles . Despite being written using different approaches , it frankly and clearly presented the suffering of Latin America under imperialism

United Fruit Co

Neruda 's poem United Fruit Co (1950 ) lamented the exploitation that Latin American countries suffered under the North American corporations that established branches in the continent . He entitled the poem as such because the United Fruit Company was considered the epitome of American imperialism in Central America . Aside from enjoying enormous privilages in the region , it also received strong government support in dealing with labor unrest . United Fruit Co . operated on the premise that the United Fruit Company and the authoritarian governments of Central America were natural allies due to their opposition to organized unionism (Bucheli , 2006

Arrogance and Disrespect

The poem starts with a biblical tone , giving off an epic or mythical feeling as a result . This was intended to sarcastically describe the arrogance of North America through its icons of consumerism such as Coca-Cola , Ford Motors and the United Fruit Company . The quasi-religious language was also meant to expose how these enterprises used democracy to justify their anomalous policies in Latin America (Hawkins , n .d North American propaganda baptized ' Latin American countries as Banana Republics ' - a derogatory term for small , backward , poor and unstable countries that have submissive relationships with the United States (Bucheli , 2006 . This phrase is unflattering in the sense that implies that a country must sell out its resources to the United States in to achieve a more modernized and democratic level of existence (Hawkins , n .d

Neruda further criticized the arrogance of North America in United Fruit Co . by invoking the memory of dead ancestors . He pointed out that North American firms are so greedy and profit-driven that they will not bother erecting their operations even on gravesites . Worse , Latin American governments will readily turn against their people just to win the support of these businesses . For Neruda , this was a severe insult to the heroes who died fighting for freedom in Latin American countries (Hawkins , n .d

Bitter Fruit

The tone of United Fruit Co...