Book contents
- Pablo Neruda in Context
- Pablo Neruda in Context
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Contributors
- Foreword
- Introduction
- Part I Residence and Travel
- Chapter 1 A lo lejos alguien canta
- Chapter 2 Pablo Neruda in Buenos Aires
- Chapter 3 Pablo Neruda’s España en el corazón and the Spanish Civil War
- Chapter 4 France in the Life and Poetry of Pablo Neruda
- Chapter 5 Of Commitments and Polemics
- Chapter 6 Departure and Return
- Part II Landmark Events and Relationships
- Part III Literary Influences and Poetic Evolution
- Part IV Other Genres
- Part V Politics, Race, and Ecocriticism
- Part VI Worldwide Influence, Reception, and Legacy
- Works Cited
- Index
Chapter 6 - Departure and Return
Pablo Neruda, the Traveler Who Always Returned
from Part I - Residence and Travel
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 27 February 2026
By
Edited by
Book contents
- Pablo Neruda in Context
- Pablo Neruda in Context
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Contributors
- Foreword
- Introduction
- Part I Residence and Travel
- Chapter 1 A lo lejos alguien canta
- Chapter 2 Pablo Neruda in Buenos Aires
- Chapter 3 Pablo Neruda’s España en el corazón and the Spanish Civil War
- Chapter 4 France in the Life and Poetry of Pablo Neruda
- Chapter 5 Of Commitments and Polemics
- Chapter 6 Departure and Return
- Part II Landmark Events and Relationships
- Part III Literary Influences and Poetic Evolution
- Part IV Other Genres
- Part V Politics, Race, and Ecocriticism
- Part VI Worldwide Influence, Reception, and Legacy
- Works Cited
- Index
Summary
In one of the celebrations of his fiftieth birthday, Neruda stated that the poet has two duties: “to leave and to return.” He later named one of his books Navigations and Returns. His life was that of a traveler who always returned, in real life and imaginatively, to his starting point: the southern territory of his childhood. This chapter examines the reasons for the journey and return in the life and work of Neruda, as well as other themes associated with his travels, such as the antipodes. He also alludes to the use of travel as a metaphor in some of his texts.
Information
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Pablo Neruda in Context , pp. 75 - 84Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2026
Accessibility standard: WCAG 2.2 AAA
Why this information is here
This section outlines the accessibility features of this content - including support for screen readers, full keyboard navigation and high-contrast display options. This may not be relevant for you.Accessibility Information
The HTML of this chapter
complies with version 2.2 of the
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
(WCAG), offering more comprehensive accessibility measures for a broad range
of users and attains the highest
(AAA)
level of WCAG compliance, optimising the user experience by meeting the most extensive
accessibility guidelines.
Content Navigation
Table of contents navigation
Allows you to navigate directly to chapters, sections, or non‐text items through a linked table of contents, reducing the need for extensive scrolling.
Allows you to navigate directly to chapters, sections, or non‐text items through a linked table of contents, reducing the need for extensive scrolling.
Index navigation
Provides an interactive index, letting you go straight to where a term or subject appears in the text without manual searching.
Provides an interactive index, letting you go straight to where a term or subject appears in the text without manual searching.
Reading Order & Textual Equivalents
Single logical reading order
You will encounter all content (including footnotes, captions, etc.) in a clear, sequential flow, making it easier to follow with assistive tools like screen readers.
You will encounter all content (including footnotes, captions, etc.) in a clear, sequential flow, making it easier to follow with assistive tools like screen readers.
Short alternative textual descriptions
You get concise descriptions (for images, charts, or media clips), ensuring you do not miss crucial information when visual or audio elements are not accessible.
You get concise descriptions (for images, charts, or media clips), ensuring you do not miss crucial information when visual or audio elements are not accessible.
Visualised data also available as non-graphical data
You can access graphs or charts in a text or tabular format, so you are not excluded if you cannot process visual displays.
You can access graphs or charts in a text or tabular format, so you are not excluded if you cannot process visual displays.
Visual Accessibility
Use of high contrast between text and background colour
You benefit from high‐contrast text, which improves legibility if you have low vision or if you are reading in less‐than‐ideal lighting conditions.
You benefit from high‐contrast text, which improves legibility if you have low vision or if you are reading in less‐than‐ideal lighting conditions.