Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
253rd out of 927 books
—
320 voters
The Captain's Verses
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 paradisal setting for the blockbuster film Il Postino (The Postman). Surrounded by sea, sun, and Capri's natural splendors, Neruda addressed these poems to his lover Matilde Urrutia before they were married, but didn't publish them...more
Paperback, 151 pages
Published
February 25th 2009
by New Directions
(first published 1952)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
3,000)
Nobel Laureate Pablo Neruda was an activist in Chile, but he also wrote some of the world's great poems of love. I purchased this edition of The Captain's Verses because it gives the poems in both the original Spanish (lovely lyric flow) and in English. He was a master of imagery who bared his soul in words. His poems burn bright, cut deep and can make me weep. Read them aloud and see.
I'll give some samples from various poems. Nothing else can really express what his poems can do.
From "The Dream...more
I'll give some samples from various poems. Nothing else can really express what his poems can do.
From "The Dream...more
2.5 stars.
Having read a collection of Neruda's odes in Norwegian, which I absolutely loved, I was so happy that I found a Kindle-version of this book tonight, when I had such a craving for some really good poetry.
And then I was disappointed. And I'm disappointed that I was disapppointed! I chose Neruda because I was absolutely certain I would love it from beginning to end - and all the positive reviews made me all the more stoked.
As it was, all the respons this collection inspired in me, was a...more
Having read a collection of Neruda's odes in Norwegian, which I absolutely loved, I was so happy that I found a Kindle-version of this book tonight, when I had such a craving for some really good poetry.
And then I was disappointed. And I'm disappointed that I was disapppointed! I chose Neruda because I was absolutely certain I would love it from beginning to end - and all the positive reviews made me all the more stoked.
As it was, all the respons this collection inspired in me, was a...more
A volte sprofondi, cadi
nel tuo buco di silenzio,
nel tuo abisso di collera orgogliosa,
e puoi appena
tornare, ancora con i segni
di ciò che trovasti
nella profondità della tua esistenza.
Amor mio, che trovi
nel tuo pozzo chiuso?
Alghe, pozzanghere, rocce?
Cosa vedi con occhi ciechi,
scontrosa e ferita?
Vita mia nel pozzo
in cui cadi non troverai
ciò che conservo per te sull'altura:
un mazzo di gelsomini con rugiada,
un bacio più profondo del tuo abisso.
Non temermi, non cadere
di nuovo nel tuo rancore.
Scuoti l...more
nel tuo buco di silenzio,
nel tuo abisso di collera orgogliosa,
e puoi appena
tornare, ancora con i segni
di ciò che trovasti
nella profondità della tua esistenza.
Amor mio, che trovi
nel tuo pozzo chiuso?
Alghe, pozzanghere, rocce?
Cosa vedi con occhi ciechi,
scontrosa e ferita?
Vita mia nel pozzo
in cui cadi non troverai
ciò che conservo per te sull'altura:
un mazzo di gelsomini con rugiada,
un bacio più profondo del tuo abisso.
Non temermi, non cadere
di nuovo nel tuo rancore.
Scuoti l...more
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 boats that sail
toward those isles of yours that wait for me.
Well, now,
if little by little you stop lovei...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 boats that sail
toward those isles of yours that wait for me.
Well, now,
if little by little you stop lovei...more
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 the rest I either co...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 the rest I either co...more
I'm sorry, am I the only one who read the section "The Furies"? Look, poetry has its share of creepers. Andrew Marvell used the fear of death to get in some chick's pants in "To His Coy Mistress" (think "Only the Good Die Young" c.1650), but that's nothing compared to this. Here, Neruda is downright menacing.
Oh no, I hear you saying. Not my Pablo Honey Bunny. Allow me to retort:
The Slip
If your foot slips again,
it will be cut off.
If your hand leads you
to another road
it will rot away.
If you take y...more
Oh no, I hear you saying. Not my Pablo Honey Bunny. Allow me to retort:
The Slip
If your foot slips again,
it will be cut off.
If your hand leads you
to another road
it will rot away.
If you take y...more
When I was a young man, I picked up this volume of Neruda's poetry. I was around 20 years old (so far as I can remember), and I was trying to widen my worldview. I remember reading Neruda's poems and wanting--desperately wanting--to find something deep and meaningful in them. I dove in relentlessly, fanning through the book and pulling them out in random fashion. My mind devoured them eagerly. My mind found nothing in the poems that it responded to.
Recently I have decided to revisit some books t...more
Recently I have decided to revisit some books t...more
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 was very "interesting...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 was very "interesting...more
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...more
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 really terrifi...more
Pablo Neruda is the reason I beat myself up every time for not knowing Spanish, for poetry is the art of hiding and unraveling hidden meanings, I kept on wondering if there is anything beneath, in between and along the words that I'm missing out on reading the translated text.
Nonetheless, he is a shining example of how one could be sincere without having to employ elaborate and grandiose verbal gymnastics, and how to reach out, connect with readers and sweep them off their feet weeping.
The Capta...more
Nonetheless, he is a shining example of how one could be sincere without having to employ elaborate and grandiose verbal gymnastics, and how to reach out, connect with readers and sweep them off their feet weeping.
The Capta...more
My idea of a perfect March evening is to sit in my castle with wine in my hand, a book of verses in the other and a slow burning dream of her memory in my eyes. This is what I am doing. Neruda is perhaps the greatest poet of this or any century.
If You Forget Me
...
"Well, now,
if little by little you stop loving me
I shall stop loving you little by little.
If suddenly
you forget me
do not look for me,
for I shall already have forgotten you.
If you think it long and mad,
the wind of banners
that passes thr...more
If You Forget Me
...
"Well, now,
if little by little you stop loving me
I shall stop loving you little by little.
If suddenly
you forget me
do not look for me,
for I shall already have forgotten you.
If you think it long and mad,
the wind of banners
that passes thr...more
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-consumi...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-consumi...more
For the title of most-loved(and by most-loved, I mean nearly in tatters) of all the books on my shelf (and by on my shelf I mean in my pocket, my purse, my work desk), this book wins by a long shot. I don't believe that any other person in the world was able to describe love like Pablo Neruda. These verses contain everything from lust, adoration, and love, to war, anger, and farewells. They are poignant because they are real, and they are attractive because they are lovingly and wholeheartedly w...more
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 you
and let it fly through the open window.
It will return to wound me
without your guiding it
since it...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 you
and let it fly through the open window.
It will return to wound me
without your guiding it
since it...more
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
us,
will touch this love and it will sti...more
"Perhaps a day will come
when a man
and a woman, like
us,
will touch this love and it will sti...more
I adored this. The book is a collection of Pablo Neruda's poetry divided into the following sections: Love, Desire, The Furies, Lives.
It's getting 4/5 because I thought Lives wasn't as engaging as the other parts--and by The Furies the recurring theme of using the sea and body parts in imagery was getting tiresome.
While writing up this review, I saw that these poems were actually penned by Neduda while he was exiled on an island--and that these were for his lover, Matilde Urrutia. Considering...more
It's getting 4/5 because I thought Lives wasn't as engaging as the other parts--and by The Furies the recurring theme of using the sea and body parts in imagery was getting tiresome.
While writing up this review, I saw that these poems were actually penned by Neduda while he was exiled on an island--and that these were for his lover, Matilde Urrutia. Considering...more
This is the first book of poetry that I read so I'm not entirely sure I did it right. My favorites were Night on the Island and The Slip. It was really beautiful poetry but after reading poem after poem of undying adoration I had to put the book down for a little while and that's when I got to the Furies- same intensity as the love poems but very refreshing to see the anguish and anger that can be the dark side of love.
I have the bilingual edition and I think having both the Spanish and English...more
I have the bilingual edition and I think having both the Spanish and English...more
I highly recommend this shorter book of love poems by a master of the craft. It is not necessary for a reader to have extensive literary knowledge to feel and understand these poems, which is one of the major turn-offs about poetry to most people. This is one of those books that you just breathe in in one motion. It comes in and it is setting on the table and done before you know it. Genuinely some of the greatest thoughts on the absolute consumption of spiritual and cerebral love.
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.
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...more
I love all of Neruda's poetry but this is my favorite. Some of his most mature love poetry, The Captain's Verses show the highs and lows of a single relationship (it was written for his wife Matilde before they were married) and the imagery throughout the collection is simply stunning. It's atmospheric, passionate, and thoughtful. One of those volumes of poetry that I find myself returning to over and over again.
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 died down; the coals glowing dim...more
Do you have a favorite poet? I'm a big enough "Lit nerd" to have a favorite, most beloved, most cherished poet! (Okay, okay...I may have two or three!) At the top of my list? Pablo Neruda!!!!! His poetry is exquisite. This collection of poems is so beautiful it makes my heart swoon. Neruda is a lyrical genius, and a passionate one too!
Feb 03, 2011
Katie
added it
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.
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.
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, I was able t...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, I was able t...more
Neruda's simplicity of language gives these verses a timeless, fable-like quality. Beautiful, sensuous odes to his lady-love. 'The Tiger', 'Letter on the Road', 'In You the Earth', just a few of the best.
"She was made of black mother-of-pearl,/made of dark-purple grapes,/and she lashed my blood/with her tail of fire." from The Fickle One
"She was made of black mother-of-pearl,/made of dark-purple grapes,/and she lashed my blood/with her tail of fire." from The Fickle One
I wish my Spanish was good enough to appreciate Neruda IN Spanish. I love the earthy, populist quality of his love poems. His poems, for reasons I can't fully articulate, resonate with me. All poets should be rabid political southpaws writing erotic love letters to girls, mountains & rivers.
These poems opened my heart to the many desperations of love. Poetry is tricky because one is not only supposed to read, but to feel, and to let oneself respond to the poets' emotions. I love Neruda for the lucidity of his mind and the beauty of his words.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Pablo Neruda was the pen name and, later, legal name of the Chilean writer and politician Neftalí Ricardo Reyes Basoalto. Neruda assumed his pen name as a teenager, partly because it was in vogue, partly to hide his poetry from his father, a rigid man who wanted his son to have a "practical" occupation. Neruda's pen name was derived from Czech writer and poet Jan Neruda; Pablo is thought to be fro...more
More about Pablo Neruda...
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
“En el amor, como agua del mar te has desatado.
(In love, you have loosened yourself like seawater)”
—
56 people liked it
(In love, you have loosened yourself like seawater)”
“Each hour, Each day”
—
37 people liked it
More quotes…
Apr 27, 2013 10:27pm