What is Pablo Neruda’s poem from Happiness for Beginners?
Lucky for beginners was released on Netflix in July 2023 and is quickly becoming a fan-favorite romantic comedy. Ellie Kemper and Luke Grimes star in the ensemble film, which takes its quirky characters into the woods for an unforgettable adventure.
Based on the book of the same name by Katherine Center, Lucky for beginners follows the newly divorced Helen (Kemper) as she embarks on a soul-refreshing journey on a beginner’s hiking tour. On the journey she will be confronted with her problems and maybe she will find a new spark.
In one of the film’s key scenes, Jake (Grimes) gives Helen a handwritten note, but tells her not to read it right away. When she finally reads the note, she is surprised by its content: a poem. Who wrote the poem featured in the film?
Warning: spoilers ahead Lucky for beginners.
Who wrote the poem in Happiness for Beginners?
True, the poem Jake gives to Helen in the film is not a Jake original. He wrote Pablo Neruda’s poem entitled “XVII.” The poem is also known as “I don’t love you” after its opening line. Helen and Jake have Neruda to thank for bringing them together.
Jake handwritten “XVII” specifically for Helen to express how much she means to him, which wasn’t particularly easy to express during the hike. Between the need to confront their own issues and the pressure to save Hugh, Helen and Jake have often found themselves at odds, but they end up together once lessons learned in the wilderness take hold.
Poem by Pablo Neruda in “Happiness for Beginners”.
Pablo Neruda was a Chilean poet, diplomat and politician. In 1971 he received the Nobel Peace Prize for Literature. His works include extensive poetry, including his popular love poems, and he also wrote an autobiography. Neruda died in September 1963 at the age of 69.
Read Pablo Neruda’s poem about the Poetry Foundationout of Lucky for beginners under:
I don’t love you like you’re a rose made of salt, topaz
or carnation arrow spreading fire:
I love you like one loves certain dark things
secretly, between the shadow and the soul.I love you as the plant that does not bloom but bears
the light of these flowers hidden within themselves,
and thanks to your love, the dense aroma that has emerged
from the earth lives dark in my body.I love you without knowing how, when or from where,
I love you directly, without problems or pride:
I love you so ’cause I don’t know any other way to love
Except in this form, which I’m not and neither are you
So close that your hand on my chest is mine
So close that your eyes close with my dreams.
Regard Lucky for beginners only on Netflix.
