History · Literature · B2
Pablo Neruda: Poet and Diplomat
Pablo Neruda: poeta y diplomático
A2 · Foundations — present tense, everyday verbs, shorter sentences. The story made approachable.
Pablo Neruda nació en Chile en 1904. Su nombre real era Neftalí Reyes, pero usaba el nombre Pablo Neruda para sus libros. Su padre era trabajador del ferrocarril.
Empezó a escribir poemas cuando era muy joven. A los 19 años, publicó "Veinte poemas de amor y una canción desesperada". Es uno de los libros de poesía en español más vendidos del siglo XX, según sus editoriales.
Neruda también trabajó como diplomático. Vivió en muchos países: Birmania, España y México. En España, hizo amistad con otros poetas.
En 1971, recibió el Premio Nobel de Literatura. Es uno de los pocos chilenos que han ganado este premio.
Murió en 1973, doce días después del golpe militar en Chile. Su casa en Santiago fue saqueada por soldados. Hoy, sus tres casas son museos. Cada año reciben miles de visitantes.
English Translation
Pablo Neruda was born in Chile in 1904. His real name was Neftalí Reyes, but he used the name Pablo Neruda for his books. His father was a railroad worker. He started to write poems when he was very young. At 19 years old, he published "Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair." It is one of the best-selling Spanish-language poetry books of the 20th century, according to his publishers. Neruda also worked as a diplomat. He lived in many countries: Burma, Spain, and Mexico. In Spain, he befriended other poets. In 1971, he received the Nobel Prize in Literature. He is one of the few Chileans who have won this award. He died in 1973, twelve days after the military coup in Chile. His house in Santiago was looted by soldiers. Today, his three houses are museums. Every year they receive thousands of visitors.
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