In the poem, “I can write the saddest verses,” Neruda uses a forlorn tone and nighttime imagery to communicate the anguish resulting from the loss of an intimate relationship. The poem opens with: “I can write the saddest verses tonight” (1), which immediately establishes the despondent tone and a sense of loss. The line repeats throughout the poem, giving it the feel of a terrible realization. Neruda’s use of nighttime imagery contributes to the tone of the piece as well. Neruda writes, “The night is full of stars,/ twinkling blue, in the distance” (2-3). The speaker gives this as an example of the “saddest verses” he can now compose, which indicates that Neruda meant for the phrase to be viewed in a sorrowful context. The night sky itself
