First published in 1959, this book gathers one hundred sonnets of love, written as a tribute to Neruda's wife, Matilde Urrutia. The poems are grouped by the times of day, morning, afternoon, evening and night. They celebrate a mature, settled love rooted in the sea, the house, the earth, bread and the passing of time. The language is rich and earthy, yet the form is compact and carefully shaped. It is often seen as a calmer, deeper companion to his youthful love poetry.