Molluscs, morphology, and metaphor in Pablo Neruda's STEAMiest poem

Abstract

AbstractThe growing enthusiasm for STEAM (STEM + Arts) initiatives reflects the rich potential for inquiry and integration between arts and sciences. Biologically informed poetry is an active interdisciplinary area of creation and analysis that requires biologically attuned illustration and translation to retain its STEAM effectiveness across linguistic barriers. Pablo Neruda, Chilean poet and Nobel laureate, was a keen observer and informed scholar who wove his scientific knowledge into his poetry. He was particularly obsessed with the sea and featured marine invertebrates in many of his works. The molluscs in his poem “Mollusca Gongorina” are unusual in being specified by their Latin genera. In this zoopoetic analysis, we first ask whether the 11 specimens can be identified to species and find that eight have ready identifications based on morphology in the poem's text, and three have likely identifications based on the poem's themes. We then examine illustrations and translations of the poem, identify where they are consonant or dissonant with the biology of the original, and propose alternative translations informed by the species' identities. Our zoopoetic approach to what could today be considered a STEAMy poem surfaces the beauty of its imagery and narrative, reflects the biological sophistication of the poet, enhances the coherence of its translations making it accessible to a wider audience, and allows it to enhance the biological literacy of the reader.