Ode to a Large Tuna in the Market

The tuna represents the natural world and acts as a foil—contrast—to man. Neruda gives the tuna the status of a hero who has been unjustly slain in battle. The tuna represents all that should be good in humanity: It is powerful, sleek, fast, grand, deep, and mysterious. In life, the tuna reigns throughout the “unfathomable / darkness, the depths / of the sea, / the great / abyss, / le grand abîme” (Lines 19-24). This tuna represents everything the speaker—and poet—admires: its beauty, strength, and its role in the natural world. For Neruda, the tuna, which most people don’t even view as a majestic fish, is an inspirational creature worthy of poetic dedication.

In the world of this poem, the ocean is dangerous, sublime, romantic, and mysterious. It is wondrous and dark. It is an abyss capable of devouring all who step into its mouth. In this way, Neruda describes the sea the way the ancient Greeks saw it. It is a giver and taker of life. Much like Poseidon—the Grecian sea god and earthshaker—the tuna is “seed / to sea-quake” (Lines 59-60).

The sea also feels like a more natural state of existence when compared to the land. This harkens back to a Darwinian view of

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