Pablo Neruda is one of the most important poets in Spanish-American literature. This course will examine his works from a chronological perspective. Not only was he the literature Nobel Prize winner in 1971, but also a truly revolutionary author whose works renovated poetry in the Spanish language. Each class period will present one aspect of his life, from his literary background, to looking at his best-known poetry, to his most ambitious volumes, and ending with his later poetic output.

Convener: Francisco Solares-Larrave was born in Guatemala, where he completed his
studies in literature and philosophy before arriving in the United States in 1988 to do graduate studies in comparative literature at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. He earned an M.A. and Ph.D. in Spanish-American literature and currently teaches Spanish in the Department of World Languages and Culture at NIU.

The NIU Lifelong Learning Institute (LLI), established in 2000, is a member-directed group of individuals primarily age 50+ who enjoy learning in informal, flexible, non-competitive groups and like connecting with peers who share their interests. No grades, no tests – just learning for the fun of it.