Pablo Neruda "Tonight I Can Write..."

This poem by Neruda is very interesting, particularly because it is very easy for the reader to relate to the feelings he is expressing. Right from the beginning of the poem, it is easy to understand that this poem is about a woman, and more specifically a lost love. In the beginning I believed that the woman in his poem had died, but as the poem progressed I became aware that they had simply parted ways and broke apart their relationship. Neruda does a very good job of writing this poem in a way that almost every reader can assimilate themselves to its values. We've all been in situations were relationships end and our will is tested, which Neruda captures most vividly in lines 29-30 "Because through nights like this one I held her in my arms; my soul is not satisfied that it has lost her." Throughout the poem he focuses on the pain that he feels from this failed relationship, but in the end he realizes that it may actually be the better path by insinuating the relationship had not been all good, and that his girlfriend or wife had caused him pain even in their relationship, "Though this be the last pain that she makes me suffer..." Possibly the reason why I like this poem so much is its ability to relate to such a broad audience; anyone who has experienced a breakup has experienced similar feelings and Neruda is able to pinpoint those feelings almost exactly with his descriptions in this poem.