I REMEMEBER YOU AS YOU WERE
You are the grey beret and the still heart.
In your eyes the flames of the twilight fought on.
And the leaves fell in the water of your soul.
Clasping my arms like a climbing plant
the leaves garnered your voice, that was slow and at peace.
Bonfire of awe in which my thirst was burning.
Sweet blue hyacinth twisted over my soul.
I feel your eyes traveling, and the autumn is far off:
Grey beret, voice of a bird, heart like a house
Towards which my deep longings migrated
And my kisses fell, happy as embers
Sky from a ship. Field from the hills:
Your memory is made of light, of smoke, of a still pond!
Beyond your eyes, farther on, the evenings were blazing.
Dry autumn leaves revolved in your eyes.
By: Pablo Neruda 1904-1973
The
elements of this poem are:
a)
Theme
· Recall a
moment in the past.
This poem describes a woman who was loved by the writer through a memory
of his one autumn day. He does miss his sweet heart who has not staid besides him
anymore. Even thought his sweet heart has gone far away, he feels that her always
drawn around his mind. He wants to be together with her but his expectation has gone.
b) Rhyme scheme
(abcd, efgd, chij, fcgf)
c)
Symbolism
·
Blue Hyacinth, the writer depicts blue hyacinth as
symbol for happiness.
·
Bonfire is a
symbol for love
d)
Figurative Language
No
|
Lines
|
Figurative
Language
|
Explanation
|
1
|
In your eyes the flames of the twilight fought on. And the leaves
fell in the water of your soul.
|
Metaphor
|
The writer compares two things that are twilight and the leave.
|
2
|
Clasping my arms like a climbing plant
|
Simile
|
The author uses like to compare two things that are Clasping
my arms and climbing plant.
|
3
|
the leaves garnered your voice, that was slow
and at peace.
|
Personification
|
In this line the author gives animate character to an inanimate. Garnered
is usually done by animate but in this line the author writes that the
leaves (inanimate) does something that is garnered.
|
4
|
Bonfire
of awe in which my thirst was burning
|
Metaphor
|
The writer compares two things that are Bonfire of awe as love.
|
5
|
I feel
your eyes traveling, and the autumn is far off:
|
Personification
|
In this line the author gives animate character to an inanimate. Travelling
is usually done by human but in this line the author writes that eyes
(inanimate) does something that is travelling.
|
6
|
Grey beret, voice of a bird, heart
like a house
|
Simile
|
The author uses like to compare two things that are heart
and a house.
|
7
|
And my kisses fell, happy as
embers
|
Simile
|
The author uses as to compare two things that are happy
such as embers.
|
8
|
Your memory is made of light,
of smoke, of a still pond
|
Hyperbola
|
The author describes a memory is made of light, of smoke, of a still
pond, but it is impossible if a memory is made by light, smoke and still
pond.
|
9
|
Dry autumn leaves revolved in your eyes.
|
Personification
|
In this line the author gives animate character to an inanimate. Revolved
is usually done by animate but in this line the author writes that leaves(inanimate)
does something that is revolved.
|
e)
APPRECIATION
ü
The first stanza.
In this stanza the writer describes a woman whom
he loved through a memory of his one autumn day who wears grey hat and whose heart is empty. The
flames of twilight” for the leaves of autumn (the color of leaves resembles
flames and autumn is the twilight of the seasons). This picture not only as a
literal image he (the writer) recalls, but as a representation of the woman’s
inner workings.
ü
The second stanza
In this stanza, the writer recalls a moment when he met his lover in the
last time and the autumn leaves became the witness of their love. The bonfire of awe symbolizes his love and happiness has
twisted his soul.
ü The third stanza
In the third stanza is contrary with the second
stanza, this stanza tells that their relationship is changed whereas the second
stanza tells about their power of love. “ I feel your eyes travelling, and
the autumn is far off:” it means
that his lover does not focus in their relationship, and the girls does not
need him anymore. While the autumn is ending, their love ends. Their relationship does not have happiness
any more.
ü The forth stanza
In the final stanza, the remnants of embers and smoke
depict the result of something that had burnt the light of their love. The
writer compares the fire as a supporter of the love balance in order to be
still eternal. If a fire is too much, it will become dangerous in contrary if
it too little it won’t work well. It also happened in love. In this poem, the
balance of fire has gone because the love between a couple has ended. This can
be shown in the quote “Your memory is made of light, of smoke, of a still pond”. The “smoke” here as a
representation of his memory. The element of fire can be comparable to love
life or real life. Although a fire has extinguished, it can be still felt. It
also happened in love. Although a love has been lost, it can be still felt.