Beyond the National Poet
Abstract
This essay focuses on Elicura Chihuailaf’s 1996 bilingual Mapuzugun/Spanish anthology of Neruda’s work. The translation and selection in the anthology titled Todos los cantos/Ti kum ul reveal a creative and ambitious rereading of Neruda’s virtues and flaws in understanding the Mapuche world. A close reading of Chihuailaf’s Todos los cantos/Ti kum ul shows how Neruda’s poetry can be reinterpreted in ways that allow for the presence of Mapuche voice and ethos. Chihuailaf’s rereading of Neruda’s work expands and redefines the idea of the “National Poet” in the twenty-first-century Chilean context.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Cultural and Social Studies in Latin America
Latin American Literature Analysis
Translation Studies and Practices
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Cambridge University Press eBooks
- Pages
- 319–327
- Publication date
- 27 February 2026
- Language
- EN
- Document type
- Book chapter