How we cite our quotes: (Line)
Quote #1
[…] is the rose naked
or is that her only dress? (1-2)
Could there be a deeper truth to a rose than just what we see? Could it be conscious and fooling us with some projection of its image? (Don't worry. Your answers will not be graded.)
Quote #2
Why do trees conceal
the splendor of their roots? (3-4)
These lines suggest that the trees are aware of what they're doing, which makes them real jerks in our book. Why would they want to shove their helpful (vital, really) roots out of sight?
Quote #3
Who hears the regrets
of the thieving automobile? (5-6)
We know that self-driving cars are coming soon, but are conscious cars the next step? Do you think Neruda is aiming this question at us and our own involvement in what cars do to the Earth? Or does he really believe that there are kleptomaniacal cars out there, racked with a guilty conscience?