Smell & Tell | Scents and Tastes in the Sensory Odes of Pablo Neruda

As readers, we construct mental images when we read descriptive text. Descriptive text isn't restricted to vision; it also includes smell, taste, touch and sound. How do we access non-visual senses? By locating relevant sensory memories in the brain and integrating them with the experience of reading. The text functions as a memory prompt—and it happens in a flash.

Pablo Neruda's odes are known for the way they utilize sensory imagery in praise of common objects and quotidian life. They exalt the ordinary in conversational and free verse styles that elevate the sublime and generate gratitude for small things.

We'll make this quality tangible at Smell & Tell by experiencing a scent, taste or flavor related to a Neruda ode prior to reading it. This will allow attendees to consciously access emotions and memories related to personal sensory experiences, and make the neurological process of text functioning as a memory prompt evident.

Details: https://aadl.org/node/642915