Ode to a Large Tuna in the Market

Odes are poems of dedication, meaning the poet treats the subject of the poem with reverence. Often, the poet personifies the object in an attempt to connect the reader with the object the same sort of way they would connect with a person. Sometimes, the poet gives the object almost mystical powers of inspiration, beauty, life, and meaning.

Neruda does all of these in “Ode to a Large Tuna in the Market.” His treatment of the tuna is similar to how a religious person might react in the presence of a religious symbol or artifact. Neruda first does this is by giving the fish power. He compares the fish to a torpedo, a missile, a bullet, an arrow, a javelin, a harpoon, a man of war, a well-oiled ship, and a machine. These comparisons offer the fish more power than it actually has—or had, in life—but similar to other odes like John Keats’s “Ode to a Grecian Urn” and “Ode to a Nightingale,” Neruda’s ode uses hyperbole to add intensity to the moment and grandeur to the subject. This is necessary for the poet to truly express what the seemingly mundane object means to them.