Neruda was the greatest poet of the 20th century in any language. "In 1971, Neruda was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.
In his lifetime, Neruda was renowned for his political beliefs. As a vocal communist, he briefly served as a senator for the Chilean Communist Party in the Chilean Congress before being forced into exile.
Neruda's pseudonym is taken from the name of the Czech writer and poet, Jan Neruda;