Ode To The Onion (Pablo Neruda)

I was listening to Marketplace on NPR the other day, when this story about an onion shortage came on. The story started with a nod to Pablo Neruda's 'Ode To The Onion'. I had never heard that poem before, so I simply had to look it up.

The copy that I found doesn't cite who translated it, but I wish it had been done better. For instance, at the end, the word "crystalline" really seemed out of place. Meh.

The simplicity of the poem's language nicely mirrors the simple nature of the onion - a cooking staple. But like how an onion adds such depth and taste to a sauce, the descriptions of this simple plant are almost over the top in their comparisons. It's described as "a planet", "the miracle" and " destined to shine".

A tad too enthusiastic for me, but it is an ode (which I know he's written a number of to various mundane things). It seems to be advice to see the wonder, the marvelousness of even ordinary objects.

Okay, Pablo Neruda, I can get behind that sentiment.

Favorite line: "Onion, / luminous flask"