A Comparative Analysis between “Your Laughter” and “A Dog has Died” both Written by

Pablo Neruda

Ricardo Eliécer Neftalí Reyes Basoalto, popularly known as Pablo Neruda, was a Chilean
Senator and was also considered as one of the most influential and widely read poets in the 20th
Century. His poems were originally written in the Spanish language and most people have found
translated versions of his works, only small parts were represented as compared to his total output.
He firmly believes that the work of art and the statement of thought are inseparable from historical
and political context. His works did not only become a form of expression or like a gateway to
share what he feels, it served as an advocacy that played a major role in social change.

Your Laughter is one of Neruda’s free verse poem. It talks about the impact of his beloved’s
laughter in his life as he endured and went through different circumstances. There were several
things that he used to compare to his beloved’s laughter. These metaphors were beautifully used
and it very much gave the readers the very idea of how he sees the person’s laughter. The poem
was published in 1972, during the late years of his life. It can be inferred that Neruda was given
the opportunity to look back in his life and reflect on what made him strong all through the years.
The poem basically talks about life and the wonders created by it. He talked about how he managed
to get through and it is not the because of the things we need to live but the thing he cannot live
without. In the political aspect, Neruda may have considered his countrymen’s laughter as the
subject for this poem. They may take away his bread and air when communism was banned in
Chile but the laughter of Chileans kept him alive.

A Dog Has Died is another poem written by Neruda. It talks about the poet’s loss when his
dog died. Instead of talking about loneliness and sorrow, he used his fond memories and loving
relationship he had with his dog. He had let the world know that he’s now gone and does not like
to dwell in the idea that he losing his dog was really a loss. Instead, he looks to being with him
when the time comes. The contentment and high spirit he used to envy about his dog are the things
he would like to remember. He used imagery to present to the readers the qualities of his dog. To
sum up, Neruda sees his dog as somewhat superior than him. The dog had better companionship
than humans. The poem talks about death and acceptance.

Both Your Laughter and A Dog Has Died expresses deep emotional connection. The
struggles that enter in a person’s life is bearable only if we look on the things that really matter.
Both poems showed the importance of intimacy and the impact it could produce in somebody’s
life. Neruda was able to show that his dog and his beloved’s laughter were there in his life to fulfill
his solitude. Life is full of awful things and if there are things that make you realize that life is
worth living, hold on to these things.
References:

Neruda, P. (2003, January 13). A Dog Has Died. Retrieved May 18, 2020, from
https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/a-dog-has-died/

Bardhan, S. (2014, November 11). Analysis of Your Laughter by Pablo Neruda. Retrieved May
18, 2020, from https://beamingnotes.com/2014/11/11/analysis-laughter-pablo-neruda/

Neruda, P. (2003, January 03). Your Laughter. Retrieved May 18, 2020, from
https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/your-laughter/

Poems | Famous Poems | Poem Hunter - PoemHunter.com: Poems. (n.d.). Retrieved May 18,
2020, from https://www.poemhunter.com/poems/