President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte paid tribute to Pablo Neruda during a private visit to La Chascona, the poet’s historic home in Santiago, Chile, on Wednesday. This visit, part of Macron’s Latin American tour, highlighted the profound bond between Neruda and France, a nation that continues to honour the poet's influence through schools, libraries, and cultural institutions bearing his name.
Nearly a century ago, Pablo Neruda arrived in Paris, a city that shaped his poetic and political journey. Stéphanie Decante, a professor of Hispanic literature at the University of Nanterre who translated and edited Neruda’s works, said that France had been the ultimate symbol of intellectual freedom for many Latin American writers.
“For Latin America, France was the City of Light, the centre of culture, in contrast to Spain, which was politically and culturally tainted by colonialism,” she said.
Literary awakening
Neruda’s fascination with French literature began early. While studying at the University of Chile, he immersed himself in the works of French poets such as Arthur Rimbaud and Victor Hugo, initially intending to become a French teacher.
Early acclaim for his poetry brought him respect among Chilean intellectuals, but Europe’s cultural dominance made Paris the ultimate aspiration. "What are you doing here? You must go to Paris," he recalled strangers asking him in his memoirs.
When Neruda first encountered Paris in the 1920s, he joined a wave of Latin American writers drawn to its avant-garde scene, such as Peruvian poet and writer César Vallejo. In the 1930s, Neruda formed lasting friendships with French poets Paul Éluard and Louis Aragon, whose influence expanded his literary horizons.
Aragon in particular played a pivotal role in introducing Neruda to French audiences, facilitating the publication of "L’Espagne au cœur" (Spain in the Heart) in 1938. This collection, published within Communist circles, positioned Neruda as a politically committed poet. In later decades, his work would be published by the prestigious Gallimard publishing house.
“He moved from a politically charged framework tied to the Communist Party to being represented by a publishing house that transformed him into a more universal poet”, Decante explained.
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From poet to rescuer
Pablo Neruda was deeply affected by the Spanish Civil War (1936 to 1939), a brutal conflict between the Republican government and Francisco Franco’s Nationalist forces that led to the Franco dictatorship. This pivotal struggle became a central focus of Neruda’s political and literary efforts.
In Paris, he collaborated with British writer Nancy Cunard to co-found the literary review "Les Poètes du Monde Défendent le Peuple Espagnol" (Poets of the World Defend the Spanish People). Proceeds from the publication funded humanitarian aid for those suffering under Franco's regime, exemplifying Neruda’s conviction that poetry and politics could unite to serve justice and humanity.
In 1939, Neruda’s commitment took a historic turn as nearly 500,000 Spanish Republicans, including soldiers and civilians, crossed the French border following the fall of Catalonia. With France ill-prepared for such a large influx, the refugees found themselves in dire conditions, many being forced into internment camps.
As Chile’s consul for Spanish immigration, Neruda spearheaded a bold rescue mission, arranging the voyage of over 2,000 Spanish Republicans to Chile aboard a ship named "Winnipeg". He later described this effort as both “the noblest mission (he had) ever undertaken” and his “most beautiful poem".
French exit
Neruda’s ties with France deepened during his exile. In 1948, Chile’s right-wing government, led by President Gabriel González Videla, accused him of subversion due to his Communist affiliations. Forced to flee, Neruda embarked on a harrowing but poetic journey through the Andes to Argentina and ultimately to France.
In Paris, he re-emerged as a symbol of resistance. Neruda's arrival at the World Congress of Peace Forces caused a stir when he appeared unprompted, book in hand, to read one of his poems.
“Many thought I was dead,” he later wrote in his memoirs. “They couldn’t imagine how I had dodged the relentless persecution of Chilean police.”
The Chilean authorities quickly denied his escape, claiming there was no way that Neruda had left the country. The poet was undeterred.
“Say that I am not Pablo Neruda, but another Chilean who writes poetry, fights for freedom, and is also called Pablo Neruda,” he quipped to the French press.
During his exile, Neruda was embraced by the international community. Figures like Pablo Picasso and Louis Aragon provided him with protection and assistance, helping him navigate the complexities of French bureaucracy.
A lasting legacy
By 1952, political tides in Chile shifted, allowing Neruda to return home. However, his ties to France endured. From 1970 to 1973, he served as Chile’s ambassador to France under President Salvador Allende, further cementing the bond with the country that had offered him refuge during his years of exile.
In his Nobel Prize acceptance speech in 1971, Neruda seized the opportunity to celebrate French culture once again, quoting Rimbaud: “Only with a burning patience can we conquer the splendid City which will give light, justice, and dignity to all mankind.”
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His legacy remains deeply embedded in French culture. Dozens of schools and public institutions across France bear his name, and his works are integral to the study of Spanish and poetry in classrooms. The Chilean Embassy in Paris features a commemorative plaque honouring Neruda’s time there.
“Neruda embodies a vision of benevolence, education, and culture for all," the University of Nanterre's Decante said. "His political influence and democratic engagement resonate through the years and will continue to do so.”
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