Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In "Lemon [Oda al Limón]," Neftalí Ricardo Reyes Basualto, better known as Pablo Neruda, transports us into an entire universe encapsulated within the humble lemon. The poet doesn't merely describe the fruit; he elevates it into a symbol of life, love, and the miraculous intricacies of existence. With a blend of sensual and tactile imagery, Neruda creates a vivid tapestry that celebrates the lemon as an object of "barbarous gold," a source of "creation's original juices," and a miniature cathedral, complete with "altars" and "aromatic facades."

Neruda initiates the poem by grounding the lemon in its floral origins-"Out of lemon flowers / loosed / on the moonlight." This ethereal start invokes an atmosphere of magic and romanticism, as if the lemons are borne of a cosmic romance, "love's / lashed and insatiable / essences." The lemon tree's emergence is described in almost cosmic terms, its fruits coming down "from the tree's planetarium." Here, the lemon tree is its own celestial body, its fruits akin to stars or heavenly orbs.

As the poem progresses, the imagery turns commercial-"The harbors are big with it- / bazaars / for the light and the / barbarous gold." The lemon becomes a commodity, yet even as "delicate merchandise," it retains an aura of the extraordinary. The lemon, though bought and sold, is more than just a product; it is a repository of "light" and "barbarous gold," a blend of purity and raw, untamed richness.

When the lemon is cut open, it is akin to revealing "a miracle." Inside are "the starry / divisions," the "original juices," which are "irreducible, changeless, alive." The interior of the lemon becomes a metaphor for the primal elements of life and creation, as if slicing the lemon allows one a glimpse into the fundamental forces of the universe itself. This notion is emphasized further when Neruda describes the cut lemon as a "little cathedral," its interior holding "alcoves unguessed by the eye" and "topazes / riding the droplets."

Finally, in the closing lines, Neruda returns to a tactile immediacy. He describes the sensation of holding the cut lemon, how "the gold of the universe / wells / to your touch." He celebrates it as a "cup yellow / with miracles," and even evokes sensual imagery, describing it as "a breast and a nipple / perfuming the earth." The lemon thus becomes emblematic of life's sensuality and miracles, its capacity for beauty, nourishment, and wonder.

Overall, "Lemon [Oda al Limón]" serves as a paean to the overlooked magic in everyday life, encapsulated in the simple yet extraordinary existence of a lemon. Through a cascade of vivid imagery and metaphor, Neruda transforms the mundane into the miraculous, reminding us to find the extraordinary in the ordinary, the universe in a fruit.

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