A Finalist for the PEN/Bograd Weld Prize for Biography

The most definitive biography to date of the poet Pablo Neruda, a moving portrait of one of the most intriguing and influential figures in Latin American history

Few poets have captured the global imagination like Pablo Neruda. In his native Chile, across Latin America, and in many other parts of the world, his name and legacy have become almost synonymous with liberation movements, and with the language of erotic love.

Neruda: The Poet’s Calling is the product of fifteen years of research by Mark Eisner, writer, translator, and documentary filmmaker. The book vividly depicts Neruda’s monumental life, potent verse, and ardent belief in the “poet’s obligation” to use poetry for social good. It braids together three major strands of Neruda’s life—his world-revered poetry; his political engagement; and his tumultuous, even controversial, personal life—forming a single cohesive narrative of intimacy and breadth.

The fascinating events of Neruda’s life are interspersed with Eisner’s thoughtful examinations of the poems, both as works of art in their own right and as mirrors of Neruda’s life and times. The result is a book that animates Neruda’s riveting story in a new way—one that offers a compelling narrative version of Neruda’s life and work, undergirded by exhaustive research, yet designed to bring this colossal literary figure to a broader audience.

This landmark work offers the complete story of the people’s poet:

A Poet’s Obligation: Explore Neruda’s fervent belief that a poet must be a voice for social change, from his early activism to his stand against the Pinochet coup.
Love and Legacy: Delve into the inspiration behind his world-famous love poetry and understand the tumultuous personal life that fueled his most passionate verses.
Poetry and Politics: Follow Neruda through the Spanish Civil War and his complex relationship with Salvador Allende, revealing how historical events shaped his work.
Definitive & Deeply Researched: Drawing on fifteen years of exhaustive research, this biography presents a cohesive narrative that separates the man from the myth.