If You Forget Me

“Sonnet XVII” by Pablo Neruda, translated by Mark Eisner (2004)

Like “If You Forget Me,” this poem is about Neruda’s third wife, Matilde Urrutia. It is arguably the most famous poem in the sequence of 100 sonnets. Both poems include the imagery of fire and flowers. However, Sonnet XVII is not about reciprocity between the lover and the beloved, but rather about distinguishing the kind of love that Neruda has for his wife from other kinds of love.

“Give Me Your Hand” by Gabriela Mistral, translated by Ursula K. Le Guin (2003)

While Gabriela Mistral was a high school principal, she met and encouraged Neruda’s writing. In the 1930s, the two poets met up again in Madrid, Spain. This poem of hers, like Neruda’s poems to Matilde, includes floral imagery. However, Mistral’s poem has a much more hopeful tone than Neruda’s conditional language in “If You Forget Me.” Rather than reciprocal love, as in Neruda’s poem, “Give Me Your Hand” explores how two people dancing together become one flower.

“Romance Sonambulo” by Federico García Lorca, translated by William Bryant Logan (1955)

Lorca deeply influenced Neruda’s poetry. Both Lorca’s “Romance Sonambulo” and Neruda’s “If You Forget Me” include symbolism of the moon, wind, and branches. Additionally, Lorca’s use of “all things” (Line 11), which occur under the moon, can be compared with Neruda’s repeated “everything” (Lines 11, 12). However, Neruda is interested in the autumnal color “red” (Line 5) while Lorca repeats the word green in his poem.

“Ballad of the Moon Moon” by Federico García Lorca, translated by Sarah Arvio (2016)

This is another poem by Lorca about the moon. He writes, “Moon lifts up her arms” (Line 6), which can be compared to Neruda’s line, “I shall lift my arms” (Line 33). This second poem by Lorca also offers context by illustrating the ubiquity of moon symbolism. Furthermore, Lorca is only one example of the poetic obsession with the moon; it occurs in many languages.

“Looking at the Moon after Rain” by Li Po (701-762)

This poem by Li Po (also called Li Bai) is one of the most recognizable and influential poems about the moon and its relationship with love. The apocryphal story of the legendary poet’s death even involves him attempting to embrace the moon’s reflection in a pool of water, and drowning. While from a very different tradition, Li Po’s use of obscure, naturalist imagery can help illuminate similar gestures in the works of poets such as Neruda, especially when they utilize the same symbols.