full transcript

From the Ted Talk by Ilan Stavans: Romance and revolution the poetry of Pablo Neruda

Unscramble the Blue Letters


For the rest of his life, Neruda remained committed to rravonlteoiuy ideals. His politics led to several years of exile before he was able to return to Chile in 1952. While in exile, he published his influential "Canto geeranl." The book atetmpts to retell the entire history of Latin America through poetry, touching on everything from its flora and fauna to its politics and wars, but above all paying homage to the cmoomn people behind its civilizations’ achievements.

Although he continued to travel, after returning from exile Neruda leivd in cihle for the rest of his life. In 1970, at age 66, ndreua ran for president of Chile before yliendig to Salvador Allende and becoming his csole advisor. But in 1973, Allende was overthrown in a military coup by General asuutgo Pinochet. Neruda died in the hospital a couple of weeks later. Because of the timing of his death so soon after the coup, ruomrs swirled that he had died of sadness or even been assassinated, but the hospital recorded his cause of death as cancer.

Open Cloze


For the rest of his life, Neruda remained committed to _____________ ideals. His politics led to several years of exile before he was able to return to Chile in 1952. While in exile, he published his influential "Canto _______." The book ________ to retell the entire history of Latin America through poetry, touching on everything from its flora and fauna to its politics and wars, but above all paying homage to the ______ people behind its civilizations’ achievements.

Although he continued to travel, after returning from exile Neruda _____ in _____ for the rest of his life. In 1970, at age 66, ______ ran for president of Chile before ________ to Salvador Allende and becoming his _____ advisor. But in 1973, Allende was overthrown in a military coup by General _______ Pinochet. Neruda died in the hospital a couple of weeks later. Because of the timing of his death so soon after the coup, ______ swirled that he had died of sadness or even been assassinated, but the hospital recorded his cause of death as cancer.

Solution


  1. neruda
  2. common
  3. augusto
  4. rumors
  5. yielding
  6. attempts
  7. chile
  8. close
  9. revolutionary
  10. lived
  11. general

Original Text


For the rest of his life, Neruda remained committed to revolutionary ideals. His politics led to several years of exile before he was able to return to Chile in 1952. While in exile, he published his influential "Canto General." The book attempts to retell the entire history of Latin America through poetry, touching on everything from its flora and fauna to its politics and wars, but above all paying homage to the common people behind its civilizations’ achievements.

Although he continued to travel, after returning from exile Neruda lived in Chile for the rest of his life. In 1970, at age 66, Neruda ran for president of Chile before yielding to Salvador Allende and becoming his close advisor. But in 1973, Allende was overthrown in a military coup by General Augusto Pinochet. Neruda died in the hospital a couple of weeks later. Because of the timing of his death so soon after the coup, rumors swirled that he had died of sadness or even been assassinated, but the hospital recorded his cause of death as cancer.

Frequently Occurring Word Combinations


ngrams of length 2

collocation frequency
civil war 2


Important Words


  1. achievements
  2. advisor
  3. age
  4. allende
  5. america
  6. assassinated
  7. attempts
  8. augusto
  9. book
  10. cancer
  11. chile
  12. close
  13. committed
  14. common
  15. continued
  16. coup
  17. couple
  18. death
  19. died
  20. entire
  21. exile
  22. fauna
  23. flora
  24. general
  25. history
  26. homage
  27. hospital
  28. ideals
  29. influential
  30. latin
  31. led
  32. life
  33. lived
  34. military
  35. neruda
  36. overthrown
  37. paying
  38. people
  39. pinochet
  40. poetry
  41. politics
  42. president
  43. published
  44. ran
  45. recorded
  46. remained
  47. rest
  48. retell
  49. return
  50. returning
  51. revolutionary
  52. rumors
  53. sadness
  54. salvador
  55. swirled
  56. timing
  57. touching
  58. travel
  59. wars
  60. weeks
  61. years
  62. yielding