The Dictators (Neruda Poem) Essay Questions

How are the "dictators" of the poem's title characterized within the work? What does Neruda suggest about the nature of evil and authoritarianism?

Though Neruda vividly depicts the death and violence that result from dictatorship, he does not depict members of the ruling regime actually committing violence. Rather, he juxtaposes scenes of suffering with scenes of the dictators enjoying physical and emotional comfort. In doing so, he suggests that evil and oppression are enabled through a delicate system of self-removal and denial. The authorities who bring about suffering, within this poem, remain at a distance from their victims. By enclosing themselves within a carefully separated world of their own making, they are able to harm others without having to reckon with that harm.

Analyze one instance of figurative language within the broader context of the poem.

When referring to the dead victims of the dictatorship, Neruda uses synecdoche, calling these individuals "newly-killed voices and buried blue mouths." This figurative language links literal death to the suppression of speech. It suggests that authoritarians use physical violence and censorship simultaneously, with each technique serving to reinforce the other. This synecdoche is particularly charged because it is juxtaposed with a description of the dictators' laughter. With this contrast, Neruda portrays a society in which both safety and self-expression are scarce, unequally distributed phenomena, meted out by and accessible only to those in power.