Pablo Neruda Figurative Language

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This essay will compare two translations of Love Sonnet XVII by Pablo Neruda- one is by Stephen Mitchell, the other by Stephen Topscott. I enjoyed the version by Stephen Topscott the most. Before we can begin comparing translations, we must first understand what the poem is focusing on. Pablo Neruda is using symbolism to compare his love for nature to the love he has for his significant other. His figurative language helps bring the poem to life, by forcing you to use your imagination. In my personal opinion, the more symbolism and sensory details used the better because it holds my interest while reading since poetry is not something I particularly enjoy. There were some lines and stanzas within the poem that stood out to me in particular. …show more content…

The way he chose to translate it had a more dark mystic tone in my opinion, which made it harder for me to envision the light within the flowers. In my head I just saw an old barren plant without much light coming from within it. Mitchell’s writing style didn’t appeal to me. In Stephen Topscott’s translation of the same line he said,
“I love you as the plant that never blooms but carries in itself the light of hidden flowers;”
Topscott’s words within his translation were much more simplistic and laid back compared to his counterparts. He was also more straightforward with what he was saying which made it easier for me to visualize what he may have been hinting toward. While I read the same line in his I imagined an old barren plant that had gorgeous flourishing flowers that gave light to the inside of the plant. I related this to the beauty that is within one’s soul. One of the more confusing parts of the poem for me was the last two lines in the second stanza. Stephen Mitchell has a mystic almost dark tone when he is translating the following:
“and thanks to your love, darkly in my body lives the dense fragrance that rises from the

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