Excerpt from “I Explain a Few Things” by Pablo Neruda
You will ask: why does your poetry
not speak to us of sleep, of the leaves,
of the great volcanoes of your native land?
Come and see the blood in the streets,
come and see
the blood in the streets,
come and see the blood
in the streets!
Refer to Explorations in Literature for a complete version of this poem.
Which explanation best describes how these lines develop the speaker’s viewpoint?
By daring the reader to “come and see,” the speaker asserts his viewpoint that his readers are partially responsible for the violence that has taken place.
By addressing the reader directly and asking the reader to see what is happening in Spain, the speaker reinforces his view that poetry could and should be used to inspire action—not just to describe beautiful things.
By mentioning the great volcanoes of his native land alongside the “blood in the streets,” the speaker contrasts the Spain he knew with the Spain that his readers now know.
By speaking to his reader one-on-one, the speaker reinforces his viewpoint that poetry should be intimate and a way for poets to directly influence the lives of readers.