Greg Gavenda

Poetry Presentation Write-up

Galloping in the South

~Pablo Neruda~ This poem is an interesting poem; it is tough to figure out the interpretive meaning, and is completely nonsensical. Truth be told, this poem is most likely based off of Nerudas dream. Thats what the clouds at the top of the diorama stand for-dreams. Theyre-how should I say-dream clouds. Then there is the rain, represented by blue pipe cleaners. I was inspired to put this into the presentation by the line, it rains perpetual needles. Thats also why I chose to put in pipe cleaners instead of paper; paper would be better as drop-shaped, whereas pipe cleaners are more needle-like. Also made of pipe cleaners, there are green zigzags in the middle of the diorama. It represents what Neruda describes as the air; electric and green. Then theres the big, blue piece of paper with the smiley face on it. Thats supposed to be the horse of the rain, but after seeing that it was hard to see as a horse, I put a smiley face on it. Even though I put that there, it is still unrecognizable. The white thing is supposed to be the narrator, a.k.a. Neruda. I have troubles cutting with scissors, ok? Im not good at cutting. Especially cutting out things like people or animals. I fail at that. Then theres the green at the bottom, obviously representing a field or patch of grass. The meaning of the poem is-how should I say-interesting. At first, the poem doesnt seem like it has any meaning. But the more you read it, the meaning becomes revealed. Of course, it seems like nonsense at first sight. But after thorough investigation, the meaning is revealed to be sometimes solitude isnt the best option. At the end of the poem, the narrator leaves the ranges of Malleco, and the vast, damp solitude. He could have stayed there in Malleco, but he and the rain-horse leave for Malleco. Then there are the words pasted around the diorama. The lines are, It rains perpetual needles, The air is electric and green, Astride the horse of the rain, The ranges of Malleco, and The fields are newly washed. Why these lines? Simply because they correspond to images in the poem. The first line corresponds to the blue pipe cleaners, the second to the green, the third to Neruda and the horse, the fourth to the entire diorama, and the fifth to the field at the bottom. But how does the forth correspond to all of it? One word; setting. This poem takes place in Malleco, Hualpen, Chile. So basically, the whole poem revolves around that one line.