(12 July 1904 – 23 September 1973 / Parral / Chile)

poet Pablo Neruda
#4 on top 500 poets
User Rating:
5.8 / 10
( 290 votes )
What do you think this poem is about?

Bird

It was passed from one bird to another,
the whole gift of the day.
The day went from flute to flute,
went dressed in vegetation,
in flights which opened a tunnel
through the wind would pass
to where birds were breaking open
the dense blue air -
and there, night came in.

When I returned from so many journeys,
I stayed suspended and green
between sun and geography -
I saw how wings worked,
how perfumes are transmitted
by feathery telegraph,
and from above I saw the path,
the springs and the roof tiles,
the fishermen at their trades,
the trousers of the foam;
I saw it all from my green sky.
I had no more alphabet
than the swallows in their courses,
the tiny, shining water
of the small bird on fire
which dances out of the pollen.

Submitted: Friday, January 03, 2003


Read poems about / on: green, water, fire, wind, sky, sun, night, spring, dance, journey, work

Comments about this poem (Bird by Pablo Neruda )

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  • Jane Moon (3/26/2013 6:28:00 AM)

    Ah, this reminds how the exquisite, feathery beauty of a bird transcends the ordinary world, how the delicate bird flies to pollinate the flowers and create such beauty for man to admire.

    2 person liked.
    		6 person did not like.
  • * Sunprincess * (10/8/2012 4:04:00 AM)

    sure he envisioned himself as a bird..haha

    2 person liked.
    		12 person did not like.
  • Maxim Muyu (8/26/2010 9:55:00 AM)

    great to share such a nice poem, keep on writing more.

    15 person liked.
    		10 person did not like.
  • Mario A. Cepeda (9/9/2009 7:32:00 PM)

    Wow, Pablo, como un Picasso de palabras! Like a Picasso of words, you have given flight beyond alphabet! Gracias!

    15 person liked.
    		8 person did not like.
  • Andrew Quintana (8/18/2009 7:15:00 PM)

    What a lovely nature poem! I liked it because of the images used to convey the meaning. He's not telling us what to feel, he's just dressing it up in words that are lovely and beautiful.

    18 person liked.
    		8 person did not like.
  • Dana Soumbouloglou (2/1/2009 2:19:00 AM)

    Very nice poem.. nice to read

    10 person liked.
    		11 person did not like.
  • Jeannie Ann Clark (12/22/2007 11:37:00 AM)

    Nice writing...thank you...

    10 person liked.
    		12 person did not like.
  • john tiong chunghoo (7/1/2006 3:49:00 AM)

    lovely pablo. rare poem about flying up there. mine to share:

    flight
    woman
    next to me
    her lips fly away
    with prayers
    her fingers
    dancing round
    her prayer beads

    10 person liked.
    		20 person did not like.
Read all 8 comments »

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