Nothing But Death of Pablo Neruda

The 5 poetic devices

Simile

“ The heart moving through a tunnel, in it darkness, darkness, darkness, like shipwreck we die going into ourselves"

line 5

comparing humans to a shipwreck

Simile

Paraphrase

" Death arrives among all that sound

like a shoe with no foot in it, like a suit

with no man in it" line 22

Paradox

comparing death to a shoe and a suit

Paraphrase

Sometimes I see those who contain death.

Those who are pale and white sailed away, with all kinds of people from simple workers to energetic girls married to authority figures, they filled the river that slowly sails them away, with the sound that can only be described as nothingness.

In that sound death arrives, it strikes without a sign and can’t be read by logic, it originates from nothing yet when it comes by one can hear it closing in.

" Death is inside the bones, like a barking where there are no dogs. "

It's contradicting that barking is heard but no dog is there- points out that death is untouchable

There are solitary graves in the world, with silent burials filled with human remains

These are essences of our beings, filled with darkness ever expanding

And we will fail as we search deeper

And there are mindless bodies, emptily filled

Death is somewhere deep inside, yet unable to be sensed or detected,

slowly spreading through the air

Paraphrase

Such thing is beyond my understanding, but I’d believe that death can be compared to that violet flower, those that feel comfortable in earth. Because in that deep, rich color and that gloomy color of that harsh winter, it provides the sickly color

Yet Death travels around the world like a sweeper, swiftly moving and cull those that are weak

Death is there in the most comfortable, it waits patiently and strikes suddenly, bringing out a miserable sound. Then the victim will slowly sail towards where death is awaiting, full of authority.

Personification

" Death is inside the folding cots: it spends its life sleeping on the slow mattresses" line 37

Pablo Neruda

The speaker conveys that death is waiting by expressing it as a human-like form

Activity

Imagery

Some Stats of Despair

" And there are corpses, feet made of cold and sticky clay"

line 9

Right now everyone here as a teenager has a 0.5% chance to die

When we hit 35 we'll have 1.1%

When we hit 50 we'll have 4.1%

By 60 we'll have 9.6%

By 70 it'd rise to 15.7%

By 75 it'd be 41%

And when you're in your 80s, it'd be a 70%

How many of us are going to reach 90?

This is an activity to experience despair and death

Let's calculate:

• 30% will die of cancer
• 20% Heart Disease
• 4.6% Respiratory Disease
• 2.9% Traffic Accidents
• 1.2% Self harm/Suicide

the speaker heightens the imagery of death by referring to senses of touch:"cold" and "sticky"

• Chilean poet and Diplomat
• Read and wrote poetry since the age of 10
• Experienced the Spanish Civil War
• Firm Communist
• Once Senator, but exiled due to Communism Outlaw
• Returned to Chile as advisor of President
• Received Nobel Prize for Literature

Theme Statement

Quotes and Explanation of the Theme Statement

Death, the natural and imminent part of life, is an essence in all people throughout their existence.

• less literal death: death in spirit, dead heart
• "like a shipwreck we die going into ourselves"

• resigned people, already dead
• "caskets sailing up the vertical river of the dead"

• death is a natural part of life
• "the face of death is green,/ and the look death gives is green"

• unavoidable, controlled order of life is the ending of death
• "where death is waiting, dressed like an admiral"

Discussion

Neruda’s poem considers the idea that people spend vast amounts of time on themselves, lacking true human interaction. This selfishness reflects the possibility that people no longer take risks and choose to live vicariously through other means. People are merely waiting for death as they live meaningless lives.

Can you find any examples in society? Are there any examples in Macbeth? In what ways have the growing technology sector helped perpetuate selfishness and less social interaction?

Bonus Question

While pessimistic, there is much truth in Pablo Neruda’s Nothing But Death.

Given that your death is unavoidable, how do you choose to live your life?

How much so is your life dictated by the possibility of death in the near future?

Nothing But Death

Created by Brian, Mandy, Ray, Steven