If You Forget Me By Pablo Neruda Critical Analysis

Reading poetry, not only evokes feelings, it also triggers memories and past experiences. “The reader is paying attention to the images, feelings, attitudes, associations that the words evoke in him” (Rosenblatt, 34) We create our own meaning from a literary work of art when we relate to it; when we can bring our own personal experiences to the table. It’s all about the relationship between the reader and the literary work of art. This is why the reader response criticism is so effective in order to interpret literary works of arts. It allows the reader to experience the work in whole different level. After all, “The poem is what the reader lives through under the guidance of the text and experiences as relevant to the text.” (38)

In her 1969

This is a non-traditional love poem. Neruda’s poem portrays the reality of love; it’s not always perfect or meant to be. More importantly, one must put himself/herself together and move on if necessary. From the start we notice the speakers speaking to us. “The reader finds it necessary to construct the ‘speaker’—the voice, the persona, the tone –as part of what he decodes from the text” (36) We may assume a man is our speaker, who expresses his love for a woman in a realistic way. The man uses metaphors and imagery to express his love for her. However, he lets her know that if she thinks about forgetting him, he will forget her first. This man wants to love her forever, but if she is doubtful about their love he has no other option but to let her

However, the stanza starts off with “You know how this is: (3)” this means that the reader will feel related to the message about to be said. Then we experience the first imagery, “if I look/ at the crystal moon, at the red branch/of the SLOW autumn at my WINDOW” (4-6). As readers, we can imagine the speaker looking out his window in an autumn night thinking about his love. We can notice that the most simple things, such as nature, bring back the memory of his loved one. “if I touch/near the fire/the impalpable ash /or the WRINKLED body of the log,/everything carries me to you, (7-11)” These descriptions add to the imagery of the setting. We may picture the author sitting in his living room next to a fireplace. This type of setting feels like home; like the speaker is comfortable enough and at a relaxing place reflecting. The reader also perceives their passionate love. The speaker mentions touching the ashes near the fire. This may portray the risk of experiencing a passionate love; there is the possibility of getting hurt. As readers, we may understand his point if we draw back from our own past love experiences. There’s another imagery in the metaphor at the end of the stanza. “as if everything that exists,/aromas, light, metals,/were little boats/that sail/toward those isles of yours that wait for me. (12-16)” The speaker describes the senses of smell, sight, and touch as