I Crave Your Mouth, Your Voice, Your Hair

There can be a couple of arguments made for what Neruda meant by this poem. I believe he meant for the love in the sonnet to be the kind that comes from a distance. There is a menacing quality to the way the narrator speaks. He uses words such as "crave" and "starving" to suggest that this love is something that has to be satisfied. He has a great desire for this woman, but there is the suggestion that she is somehow out of his league. Her "sleek laugh" sounds like she is blowing him off, or perhaps sharing a joke with another person. The speaker becomes jealous(?) of the sunbeam that falls on the woman and he speaks of eating it, which suggests at making it a part of himself. If he were part sunbeam then he would be able to touch this untouchable woman, even if it's only for a moment. There is also a hint here that he wants to make her happy. Sunbeams bring warmth to a person and that is what the narrator wants for this woman. Unfortunately, there is an impatience (suggested by the pacing) in him that makes it impossible to wait for her to notice him. Neruda's comparison to a puma shows the reader that the speaker has decided to take on a predatory role towards this love. There is the chance (suggested by "twilight") that this can bring about the beginning of a relationship with this woman, or the ending of any chances he has with her. It is hinted that he knows the outcome will be solitude ("barrens") and the speaker will be forced to remain impatient and craving.