The Canto General’s fifteen sections, or cantos, document a chronological record of the exploits of kings, conquerors, dictators, and revolutionaries, as well as of the voices of workers and common folk and the poet himself.

"The Lamp on Earth" describes the origins of the continent from the beginning of time until the arrival of the Spanish.

"Heights of Macchu Picchu" relates the narrator’s pilgrimage to the top of Macchu Picchu in Peru, where he connects with his native roots and reaches profound conclusions about his life and calling.

"The Conquerors" tells about the fifteenth Spanish conquest, which led to a brutal occupation and eventual extinction of the native civilizations.

"The Liberators" extols the heroism of those throughout time born on native soil who struggled against oppression and died for freedom.

"The Sand Betrayed" examines the previous century of foreign exploitation and finds the big American corporations as villainous a form of imperialism as the Spanish conquest.

"America, I Do Not Invoke Your Name in Vain" presents the poet as nurtured by and contained within all of the continent’s rich resources, justifying his critical and moral authority.

"General Song of Chile" imagines a lush creation myth of the people and natural features of Neruda’s country, similar to the first section, but more patriotic.

"The Earth is Called Juan" celebrates the human spirit and the enduring struggle of those belonging to the land who labor and fight for it.

"Let the Rail Splitter Awake" invokes Abe Lincoln, a North American that the poet admires and whose resurrection he longs for to restore peace and justice in the world.

"The Fugitive" is an autobiographical account of Neruda’s life among ordinary Chileans hiding out after running afoul of his former ally Videla’s new regime.

"The Flowers of Punitaqui" continues the previous poem’s theme of finding meaning and communion among the people, offering vivid impressions of contemporary life and social problems.

"The Rivers of Song" pays homage to other poets, friends of Neruda’s who like him affirmed life and freedom through their work whose currents continue to flow through the land and people expressing their songs and struggles.

“New Year’s Choral for the Country in Darkness” wishes Chile a happy new year at the dawn of the 1950s, reflects on its proud legacy, takes stock of its current political situation, and looks forward to better times.

“The Great Ocean” mirrors the lyrical creation myth form of sections 1 and 7, focusing on the evolution of the Pacific and its abundant life.

“I Am” looks back in verse on Neruda’s life thus far, recalling in sensual detail experiences and relationships he misses.