Ode to a Large Tuna in a Market Essay Questions

Discuss the symbolic role of the vegetables in "Ode to a Large Tuna in the Market."

Neruda's poem repeatedly and explicitly juxtaposes the tuna with the vegetables around him at the market. While the tuna symbolizes mysterious worldliness, having reached land after a lifetime in the unknown ocean, the vegetables symbolize all that is understandable and easily accessed. Like the tuna, they are for sale on land. But unlike the tuna, they have not come from an exotic undersea locale. Rather, they have remained on land, where they originally came from, and are therefore very familiar to the human speaker. As a result, the speaker appears baffled and surprised by the sight of the tuna and the vegetables beside one another.

What role does line length play in "Ode to a Large Tuna in the Market"?

The notably short lines of this poem mimic the speed and grace of the tuna when alive. The thin, slithering line they create on the page creates an abstracted picture of rapid, unimpeded movement. At the same time, the short lines necessitate pauses and introduce a halting rhythm, even while they visually evoke speed. This slow, halting quality suggests the slightly altered nature of the speaker's thoughts. Both awestruck and distressed by the sight of the tuna, the speaker seems to have trouble forming thoughts: they emerge in clipped and often enjambed spurts.