Visiting Pablo Neruda's House

Carla and Trent are in beautiful Valparaiso, visiting a former home of acclaimed poet Pablo Neruda, which is now a museum. They talk about how Chile's political turmoil affected Neruda's life and poetry.

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Carla: There it is! La Sebastiana! I can't believe we're actually here! Let's go inside.

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Trent: So, when did Pablo Neruda move here? It's a pretty big house for one man.

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Carla: Um, 1961 it says here, so he would've been in his prime. He'd asked some close friends to find him a house in Valparaiso that was not too big, not too small, not too loud, not too quiet... his laundry list goes on and on. It says he had the top two floors, and a sculptor friend and her husband lived downstairs.

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Trent: Well, Neruda got the better end of the deal. What an incredible view! Did he write much poetry here?

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Carla: Absolutely. His collection entitled Fully Empowered was published when he lived here. But he was also very busy traveling, giving lectures, making political speeches...

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Trent: Political speeches? He was a politician as well?

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Carla: Neruda was very active politically, especially with all the upheaval in this country throughout his lifetime. He was also a diplomat in Spain in the times leading up to the Spanish Civil War.

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Trent: Isn't it a little strange that a poet would be involved in politics? I see them as such different personality types.

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Carla: Not at all. Neruda's political leanings came from his deep love for people, for his country, and for fairness. His sensitivity was what motivated him to speak out against tyranny all over the world, even when revealing his true colors got him into the government's bad books.

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Trent: Hmm...and yet he still wrote such intimate poems about nature in its simplest forms. I'd really like to learn more about him.

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Carla: We're in the right place, then. I'd be happy to devote the rest of our stay in Valparaiso to doing just that.

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