Pablo Neruda, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, finished writing The Captain's Verses in 1952 while in exile on the island of Capri the par...
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Nov 03, 2010
Tiger Holland (All-Consuming Books)
rated it: 
This book of poems by Pablo Neruda, Chilean poet and Nobel Prize winner, is divided into four sections, plus some odds and ends (Love: 16 poems, Desire: 3 poems, The Furies: 12 poems, Lives: 8 poems, and a few longer poems to cap off the collection). It was originally published anonymously in the 1950's, and at times you can see why. In any poem that feautures a real person, that individual is going to be fictionalized and altered a bit, but this collection with its constant communication betwee
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Sep 03, 2009
Patrick
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Undoubtedly some of the finest love poems ever written and probably Neruda’s masterpiece (my opinion).
"I want you to know
one thing.
You know how this is:
if I look
at the crystal moon, at the red branch
of the slow autumn at my window,
if I touch
near the fire
the impalpable ash
or the wrinkled body of the log,
everything carries me to you,
as if everything that exists:
aromas, light, metals,
were little boa More...
"I want you to know
one thing.
You know how this is:
if I look
at the crystal moon, at the red branch
of the slow autumn at my window,
if I touch
near the fire
the impalpable ash
or the wrinkled body of the log,
everything carries me to you,
as if everything that exists:
aromas, light, metals,
were little boa More...
Jan 17, 2012
Dante
rated it: 
The Captain's Verses is a collection of lyric poems by the Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. It was first published anonymously in 1952, and many years later it was reprinted with the author's name.
The book is divided into four parts (Love, Desire, The Furies, and Lives) and all in all there are 42 poems.
Most of the poems are about, well, physical and emotional love and longing, while the others are political. I liked a few of the poems, because I could somehow relate to them, but More...
The book is divided into four parts (Love, Desire, The Furies, and Lives) and all in all there are 42 poems.
Most of the poems are about, well, physical and emotional love and longing, while the others are political. I liked a few of the poems, because I could somehow relate to them, but More...
Jun 13, 2009
So this book was a gift from my aunt, who happens to love poetry and when we were at a book store and I was "accidently" looking at this book, my aunt bought it for me.
I'm not a huge fan of poetry however I do love reading famous quotes that have an impact on me. I finished this book in a matter of days because after each poem I just wanted to read the next one. Because i mean each verse is like two pages max. and i kept on reading poem after poem.
Another reason this book w More...
I'm not a huge fan of poetry however I do love reading famous quotes that have an impact on me. I finished this book in a matter of days because after each poem I just wanted to read the next one. Because i mean each verse is like two pages max. and i kept on reading poem after poem.
Another reason this book w More...
Apr 06, 2011
Bojan
rated it:
I bought this book because for the long time I wanted to read something by Neruda, and this bilingual edition offered an opportunity to read the original Spanish alongside with the English translation. Since I know a bit of Spanish, this was an opportunity to practice it and improve it, as well as get exposed to some of the most sensual and inspiring poems in any language. Neruda's idiom is rich with metaphors, and he takes everyday objects and situations and imbues them with poetic and emotiona
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Nov 21, 2010
James
rated it: 
I liked this edition, spanish on one page, english on the next. It was good to work at my vocabulary. Neruda certainly is very expressive and has a wide vocabulary, it is a good learning book. There were portions that I thought were really good, but those were short compared to the rest. Really, I was bored, and this is not a long book. There are only so many times that I can read, "our love is like a fire and it is burning, my love is like the earth and water. Our lips kisses are rea
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Aug 05, 2011
Colin N.
rated it:
An excellent collection of poetry by Neruda. I picked this up for a number of reasons, having visited his house in Santiago and having recently read Jan Neruda, the Czech author who inspired Pablo's nom de plume. And I was not disappointed.
The first dozen or so poems in this collection, the Love poems, are beautiful and moving. The Desire and Furies poems are also quite strong. Neruda blends the descriptions of the woman he loves with images of his homeland and evokes the madness and all-con More...
The first dozen or so poems in this collection, the Love poems, are beautiful and moving. The Desire and Furies poems are also quite strong. Neruda blends the descriptions of the woman he loves with images of his homeland and evokes the madness and all-con More...
Jan 14, 2011
Tom
rated it:
The love poems of a tormentuos relationship. My favorites are those that describe the island on which they lived. "Night on the Island":
All night I have slept with you
next to the sea, on the island
Wild and sweet you were between pleasure and sleep,
between fire and water.
Also his "make up" poems, like "The Well":
Do not fear me, do not fall
into your rancor again.
Shake off my word that came to wound y More...
All night I have slept with you
next to the sea, on the island
Wild and sweet you were between pleasure and sleep,
between fire and water.
Also his "make up" poems, like "The Well":
Do not fear me, do not fall
into your rancor again.
Shake off my word that came to wound y More...
Jan 28, 2012
Sarah
rated it:
As far as poetry goes, I've always thought love was a less interesting topic than death, or society, or anything else, really. But reading "The Captain's Verses" made me realize that what I think of as love poetry is really courtship poetry. This potent stuff, though, is the turmoil of early love -- the whole story, told plainly. Euphoria, fear, rage, appetites are laid bare with candor, but not coarseness.
"Perhaps a day will come
when a man
and a woman, like
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"Perhaps a day will come
when a man
and a woman, like
More...
Jan 20, 2010
Roxy
rated it:
When I first read Neruda's poetry, I was deeply moved. I never really like poetry until I read The Captain's Verses.
Neruda knows how to weave words together. They're sensual and almost vulgar yet respectful. There's an honesty to his passion that draws you completely in. My favorite poem is "La Reina" or "The Queen." It's so simple but is probably the most romantic thing someone could hear.
This is definitely an essential.
Jan 24, 2008
Ned
rated it:
I first read this collection in 2005 and failed to bring a copy with me to Scotland. It took but a month for to give in and buy the British edition. This is the only Neruda poetry I own and while I have read and re-read most of the poems in here, still I find myself needing to read them over and again. The Captain's Verses were written for Matilde Urrutia, who would eventually become Neruda's 3rd wife. At the time of the publication, however, the work was released anonymously out of respect for
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Jan 10, 2011
Adam
rated it:
The cover chatter declares this book to be "burning with the erotic energy of a new love." But to me, this is a very different collection. This is not "Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair," those poems full of lust, longing and white-hot passion for a desired object. "The Captain's Verses" feel like songs of a more mature, settled love. The object is no longer pursued, but shared, revealed, no longer an outside object but a part of one's self. The flames have di
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Feb 03, 2011
Read only the original Spanish... okay, with the occasional sneak peek to the other side to see what a particular word meant. What I found interesting was how literally I read the language before me, while the translator was able to find a more luminous and poetic meaning in those same words. Either way, it was of course Neruda, and therefore lush and sweeping and evocative and stirring. Sometimes a bit pompous or condescending. My favorite was La Rama Robada.
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Oct 11, 2009
Mayra
rated it:
This little poetry book full of beauty in words, feelings, images, passion, and love led me back to Pablo Neruda and the love of his life, Matilde. Having previously read (twice!!) his memoirs (Confieso que he vivido), Los versos del capitán was for me the next step before reading Mi vida junto a Pablo Neruda by Matilde Urrutia.
Jan 29, 2011
Mansoor
rated it:
This is one of Neruda's collections of love poetry, as opposed to his political work. It was my first reading of Neruda's writing, and I was floored. At nineteen, I wasn't big on love poetry because I found it maudlin. But, the poems of The Captain's Verses seem like they can be spoken by a man without a significant reduction in masculinity.
The edition I have presents the Spanish version on one page, and the English translation on the facing page. Even with my meager Spanish skills More...
The edition I have presents the Spanish version on one page, and the English translation on the facing page. Even with my meager Spanish skills More...
Apr 06, 2009
Lisa
rated it:
If you are new to Neruda, this is the book for you. It is beautiful, and holds his simple language, with translations... also helpful for those who want the verses in Spanish. Amazing, beautiful, wonderful book. This one is a Poetry Night staple!
Aug 07, 2011
Jakub
rated it:
Well... it's kinda on the same theme over and over again... there's nothing wrong with Captain's Verses, but it's too... sweet and too little scenic for my taste.
Jul 24, 2011
I have never been more sad to close a book in my life... I can honestly say that if I think I loved poetry before, it is nothing compared to how much I love it after finishing this. I can't wait to read more Neruda and to come back to these poems and fall in love all over again.
Jul 03, 2010
Mitch
rated it:
Excellent poems on all of love's different seasons, with Spanish and English versions side by side. Also one of my favorite cover designs ever.
May 04, 2009
Ikalatschan
rated it:
Contains the first poem that ever made me clutch a book to my chest and sigh. (The rest therein quickly followed suit!)
Jan 11, 2011
Denae
rated it:
Beautiful, of course, as Neruda inevitably is, this collection of verses is full of love and the sea and the earth in a tender, timeless way.
Nov 24, 2008
Jennifer
rated it:
Currently untouchable and tucked away; in ten years I'll visit it again.
Jun 15, 2010
Renate
rated it:
had to jump ship because i was allergic to the dusty edition i found at work.
