The Great Tablecloth

Michelle Lee, Carrick Scripa, Jenny Yang, Joe

Zhang

IO

Estravagario

“The Great Tablecloth” was part of a compilation titled Estravagario

Written when Neruda returned to Chile after travelling the world and moved to Isla Negra on the Pacific Coast

Had been in Italy → victory of anti-Videla forces and the order to arrest leftist was rescinded→ heads back to Chile

Estravagario/Extravagaria was published in 1958 and translated in 1972

Autumnal Period

Neruda called this time in his life an “autumnal period”

Shows him as more human with flaws and drawbacks

Wiser with older age, feels at home with himself and the world

A time of change for Neruda

Celebrates coming to rest in one place, rediscover of sea and land

Deals a lot with spiritual freedom and the beauty of nature

Content

Close examination, still shots of all aspects of the natural world

Presents the reader with his daily life and examines critically his Marxist beliefs

Lyric poetry became more personal than his previous works

Reflects his change in opinions

Used to see poetry had been “a deep inner calling in man; from it came liturgy, the psalms, and also the content of religions”

In 1956 Khrushchev’s revelation at the 20th Party Congress of the crimes committed during the Stalin regime

Faith shaken: was a fan of Stalinism until they admitted they killed people

Perception of the Work

Since the collection is much more personal, he shows that he loves life and his work no matter what others think

Very mixed perception of the work

Seen as one of his best and most heartfelt anthologies by some, while others see it as one of his worst

Discussion Questions

Why do you think nature has become so important in these works?

Based on the title “The Great Tablecloth” and the information we have given you, what do you think the poem will be about?

IOC

The Poem

To start, here is a dramatic reading of the poem to give you a sense of the work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFCpPn9JZLI

Dominant Effect

In “The Great Tablecloth,” Neruda expresses his belief in socialism and universal brotherhood by using similes to liken people across the world to each other through hunger and the human need for food.

The Great Tablecloth IOCWhen they were called to the table,the tyrants came rushingwith their temporary ladies,it was fine to watch the women passlike wasps with big bosomsfollowed by those paleand unfortunate public tigers.

The peasant in the field atehis poor quota of bread,he was alone, it was late,he was surrounded by wheat,but he had no more bread;he ate it with grim teeth,looking at it with hard eyes.

SimilePersonificationMetaphor

Uses metaphor to call tyrants pale, unfortunate public tigers. who “came rushing with their temporary ladies” to the table for food. Suggests they come for food similar to how tigers do, hunger is a basic need that everyone succumbs to

Uses hopeless tone to create somber mood

The Great Tablecloth IOC (Continued)In the blue hour of eating,the infinite hour of the roast,the poet abandons his lyre,takes up his knife and fork, puts his glass on the table,and the fishermen attendthe little sea of the soup bowl.Burning potatoes protestamong the tongues of oil.The lamb is gold on its coalsand the onion undresses.It is sad to eat in dinner clothes,like eating in a coffin,but eating in conventsis like eating underground.Eating alone is a disappointment,but not eating matters more,is hollow and green, has thornslike a child of fish-hookstrailing from the heart,clawing at your insides.

SimilePersonificationMetaphor

Both the poet and fishermen abandon their work to eat. Shows human need for food and how it is universal and transcends superficial differences among people. Connects back to the tyrants who “come rushing” to the table for food. Everyone needs to eat

Brings up idea of hunger and how torturous it is. Everyone feels the same hunger pangs “clawing at [their] insides”

The Great Tablecloth IOC (Continued)Hunger feels like pincers,like the bite of crabs,it burns and has no fire.Hunger is a cold fire.Let us sit down to eatwith all those who haven't eaten;let us spread great tablecloths,put salt in the lakes of the world,set up planetary bakeries,tables with strawberries in snow,and a plate like the moon itselffrom which we can all eat. For now I ask no morethan the justice of eating. Translated by Alastair Reid - Wuthering (1988)

SimilePersonificationMetaphor

Communicates socialist ideas of feeding those who can’t feed themselves and creating a universal source of food which all can eat from because the plate is as big as the moon. Calls eating a “justice” as if it is not something that anyone should be deprived of.

Idea of Universal Brotherhood through his hope that there will be “a plate like the moon itself from which we can all eat”

Tone and Mood

Starts out sounding critical of the tyrants and hopeless about eating alone and “[eating] in dinner clothes”

Last stanza communicates hope of universal dinner with all and has a hopeful tone which shows how Neruda wishes for socialism to help all people live a better life

This shift from a critical to hopeful tone makes the mood of the poem shift as well from separation to one of brotherhood achieved through food

Creative Interpretati

on

Our “Great Tablecloth” Collage

We have included a combination of aspects of the work and Neruda’s life

The black and white represents the shift in tone

Hopeless (Black) → Hopeful (White)

Now it’s your turn...Based on what you’ve learned from the presentation, create a tablecloth! Take 2 minutes to draw a picture related to either the poem or Neruda’s life. When you finish, add it to our universal tablecloth. Be prepared

to explain your addition to the tablecloth.

Works CitedCortínez, Carlos. “La transmutación simbólica de la mujer en dos poemas de Pablo Neruda.” Hispanic Review 60.1 (1992): 19-32. JSTOR. Web. 15 Nov. 2015.

“Estravagario.” Barnes & Noble. Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Inc., n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2015.

“Estravagario (Extravagaria).” Goodreads. Goodreads Inc, 2015. Web. 15 Nov. 2015.

“Extravagaria.” Bookdepository. The Book Depository Ltd., 2015. Web. 15 Nov. 2015.

Gleaves, Robert. “Modes of Metaphoric Expression in Pablo Neruda's Estravagario.” Chasqui 19.1 (1990): 47-55. JSTOR. Web. 15 Nov. 2015.

Liukkonen, Petri. “Pablo Neruda (1904-1973).” Pablo Neruda. N.p., 2008. Web. 15 Nov. 2015.

Norton, Ben. “Neruda’s “El Gran Mantel” (“The Great Tablecloth”).” Ben Norton. Ben Norton, 30 Oct. 2013. Web. 15 Nov. 2015.

“Pablo Neruda.” Poetry Foundation. Poetry Foundation, 2015. Web. 15 Nov. 2015.

“Pablo Neruda.” Poets. Academy of American Poets, n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2015.

“Pablo Neruda.” World History: The Modern Era. ABC-CLIO, 2015. Web. 15 Nov. 2015.