"Your Laughter," which was composed by the Chilean poet during his exile in the Italian island of Capri, is dedicated to his wife Matilde. In it, Neruda admits that he can live without food and without air, without light and without spring, and that he can stand being away from his beloved homeland, but he cannot live without Matilde's laughter, which he lyrically compares, among other things, with a wave of silver that sprouts from her mouth. Matilde is allowed to laugh of the sun and of the moon, of the night, of the streets of Capri, and of himself, but she must also laugh for him, she cannot deny him her laughter, because, otherwise, he would die. I believe this poem is, primarily, a love declaration, but also a reflection of Neruda's cordiality and of the stance he decided to take after being forced to leave his country accused of being a communist - he valued love, friendship and pleasure above all things. It also reflects his intense affection for his homeland, Chile, and the nostalgia he felt for it. Matilde's laughter, nevertheless, will appease his pain.
