“Clandestine sexuality” is the term that describes very well the hidden and
oppressed feminine sexuality across these years. Ignorance and naivety of the
human being has mostly being taken advantage by the most empowered institutions
we ourselves have built; the Church, schools and Political establishments, however
nowadays is when we start realizing such instinct of the woman is as well significant
and that it shouldn’t be hidden or categorized as a “taboo”, “polemic” neither
“problematic” issue but be taught and elegantly shown to demonstrate that women
also have their right to explore and enjoy from their sexuality. This is indeed a very
modern concept still, something that in other time it would have been completely
impossible to even put on the table. However, one of the least political writers has
been brave enough to stand up for women against a retrograde Spanish and
international society. This literary figure is Ricardo Eliécer Neftalí Reyes Basoalto,
also known as, Neruda. A poet ad writer from the 20 th Century existentialism used
his power of literature to secretly portray polemic political issues and one of the
most outstanding one is the subliminal portrayal of the feminine sexuality in his
works. Therefore, in this thesis project I will analyze how, through symbolism and
other literary techniques, Neruda portrays the feminine sexuality.
From his collection “Versos del Capitan”, which translates into “The Captain’s
Verses” we find the poem “VI”. He already presents the newest concept of literature
within the 20 th Century in applying a numerical category in his titles instead of soapy
romantic titles. However the significance of this poem lays in the eroticism behind,
while describing forbidden love scenery in a farming land. He portrays the feminine
sexuality through sensual metaphors that hide behind agricultural themes, such as
in the first stanza oh his poem where he sets the mood and scene and he
immediately starts describing the land, however he describes it as a vast burnt land.
The words “…quemante agricultura…” that translate into “burnt agriculture”,
(Neruda , Pablo. “Los Versos Del Capitan .” Book II, Seix Barral, 2017,) initially suggest
a sort of barren land, however this is a metaphor for a dry, thirsty land, ready to be
watered, just as the feminine sexuality has been going through those years of severe
oppression. Neruda shows that indeed there is a leftover of thirst and need of
something to be taken care of and explored. This barren territory isn’t just a
description of the landscape but also a portrayal of the women’s sexuality that
needed to be explored and taught, if not, it will end empty and barren like such
landscape. Moreover, he continues using such metaphors such as the words translates into
“… between my chest and your perfume, insert its dark plant”. (Neruda , Pablo. “Los
Versos Del Capitan .” Book II, Seix Barral, 2017,). It was common in poetry to describe
sensual scenes through plants, vegetal or flowers, something that Neruda follows in
this stanza as he appears to simply describe a jungle of emotions, however it has a
more literary sexual meaning since he suggests the need of sexual intercourse.
These words explain that within the women sexuality we find an animal and
predatory need as well as men do.More info