Reflectivelaterpoemsofthefiery,Nobel-PrizewinningChileanpoet,withEnglishtranslationsandtheoriginalSpanishside-by-sideonfacingpages.Whilethingsaresettlingdown,hereI’veleftmytestament,myshiftingextravagaria,sowhoevergoesonreadingitwillnevertakeinanythingexcepttheconstantmovingofaclearandbewilderedman,amanrainyandhappy,livelyandautumn-minded.--from“Autumntestament“ExtravagariamarksanimportantstageinNeruda’sprogressasapoet.ThebookwaswrittenjustafterhehadreturnedtoChileaftermanywanderingsandmovedtohisbelovedIslaNegraonthePacificcoast.Thecollectioncelebratesthiscomingtorest,thisrediscoveryoftheseaandtheland,andtheevolutionofaalyricpoetrythatisdecidedlymorepersonalthanNeruda’searlierwork.Writteninwhathecalledhis“autumnal“period,thesixty-eightpoemsrangefromthewistfultotheexultant,combiningpsalmandspeculation,meditationandhumorousaside.
