Metaphor and Simile. A metaphor is a figure of speech in which one thing is spoken or written about as if it were another. A simile is a comparison using like or as. Neruda uses both metaphors and similes throughout this poem. Create a chart like the one below to help you identify the use of these two techniques. As you read, list examples of figurative language in the left-hand column, state what two things are being compared in the middle column, and state whether the figurative language you found is a simile or metaphor in the right-hand column.
Mood. Mood, or atmosphere, is the feeling or emotion the writer creates in a literary work. By working carefully with descriptive language, the writer can evoke in the reader an emotional response such as fear, discomfort, longing, or anticipation. As you read, think about what feelings the details of the poem create in you.
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- Translation is the art of rendering speech or writing into a different language. Translating “Ode to My Socks” involved much more than sitting down with a Spanish-to-English dictionary and finding the English equivalent of each word of Spanish Neruda wrote. A translator must also try to preserve meaning. Words or phrases from one language may be meaningless or have a completely altered meaning when translated literally. For example, if you were to say, “Your new shirt is cool,” and someone translated that statement literally into another language, those hearing the translation might be led to believe that you are talking about a cold shirt rather than a fashionable one. Translating poetry is even more difficult than translating prose or speech because the translator has to worry about whether to try to preserve in his or her translation the poetic techniques the author used. Because it can be very difficult to keep a poem’s rhyme and rhythm when it is translated, translators sometimes have to sacrifice the use of these techniques. Translators also have their own ideas about what is important to preserve in a literary work, so as you read literature you will find that no two translations are the same.
Write about a gift you received that you really loved. What was special about this gift?
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