Analysis of the Saddest Poem by Pablo Neruda

1.    Theme: what themes do you notice in the poem? Explain how the themes contribute to your understanding of the poem

I notice that the themes of heartbreak, depression, and loss of love are present in the Saddest Poem by Pablo Neruda. Throughout the poem, there is a recurring line which is “Tonight I can write the saddest lines” which showcases all the pain and sorrow that the author is experiencing with love. The themes occur in chronological order first starting with his initial heart, then leading to his period of depression, and then his loss of love for his significant other. The lines, "I can write the saddest poem of all tonight. I loved her, and sometimes she loved me too.”, demonstrates the author’s feeling of heartbreak because he believed that both he and his significant other were both deeply in love but in reality, they were not. The author’s feeling of depression is portrayed through the lines, “I can write the saddest poem of all tonight. To think I don't have her. To feel that I've lost her.” The theme of depression can be found in these lines because the author showcases his emotions of feeling lonely and sad without the love of his life. Finally the lines,” Although this may be the last pain she causes me, and this may be the last poem I write for her.”, display the author’s loss of love for her and how is slowly moving past his previous relationship.

2.    Do you agree or disagree with the poem? Explain your thinking.

 I agree with the poem because when one is in a relationship with someone that they love for a long duration of time, they become very intimate and close to them. As a result, when they end their relationship, it become difficult to move past the relationship. This is portrayed with the line the lines: “Someone else's.  She will be someone else's. As she once belonged to my kisses. Her voice, her light body. Her infinite eyes.” These lines showcase how when one goes through a breakup, all they can think of is that person and how much they loved them. In addition, they endure a feeling of depression knowing that someone else will get a chance to be with them rather than themselves.

3.    Jot down and respond to a favourite line or favourite image. What specifically do you like about the poem? Be specific, pay attention to beautiful words, phrases and language.

My favourite line from the poem is “To hear the immense night, more immense without her and the poem falls to the soul as dew to grass.” This line is significant because it demonstrates how the author was able to hear the night more clearly without his significant other and he felt lonelier without her as the night was filled with darkness.  In addition the line, “falls to the soul as dew to grass”,  metaphorically signifies the loss of love as the small droplet of dew from a leaf falls into the grass signaling the end of a relationship. 

4.    What is this poem saying? What ideas is the poem conveying?

The poem is conveying the idea that love is precious and vulnerable. Sometimes a relationship may not always work out and as a result it may be difficult to move past it. One must give themselves some time to regroup and fix their mistakes before searching for love again. The process will be filled with some periods of depression which will lead one to make irrational decisions but, the feeling of depression can be filled overtime through learning from past mistakes. Once one does some self-reflecting, they will be able to put their past relationship behind them and embark on a new relationship.

5.    Personal connections: is there any way in which you relate to anything in the poem?

I cannot personally relate to this poem and the author’s experiences, but I have seen others who went through the same feelings and emotions as the author did in this poem. For instance, recently one of my friends recently broke up with his long-time girlfriend and he had been going a whirlwind of emotions after the breakup. Similarly to the author, he has not been able to stop thinking about the girl that he loved and he felt that his soul was lost without her. He tried countless times to win her love back and he tried correcting his mistakes in hopes of mending his relationship with her but, unfortunately, she did not want to get back with him. This goes to show that sometimes in life, relationships do not always work out and we should not dwell on them, but rather learn from them and become better people leading into other relationships.