Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Light is time; Octavio Paz;


Light is time thinking about itself; Octavio Paz.

Octavio Paz Lozano (March 31, 1914–April 19, 1998) was a Mexican writer, poet, and diplomat, and the winner of the 1990 Nobel Prize for Literature
 
he wrote
El Laberinto de la Soledad ("The Labyrinth of Solitude"), a groundbreaking study of Mexican identity and thought.
A prolific author and poet, Paz published scores of works during his lifetime, many of which are translated into other languages. His poetry, for example, has been translated into English by
Samuel Beckett, Charles Tomlinson, Elizabeth Bishop and Mark Strand. His early poetry was influenced by Marxism, surrealism, existentialism, as well as religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism. His poem, Piedra de Sol ("Sunstone") written in 1957, was praised as a "magnificent" example of surrealist poetry in the presentation speech of his Nobel Prize. His later poetry dealt with love and eroticism, the nature of time, and Buddhism. He also wrote poetry about his other passion, modern painting, dedicating poems to the work of Balthus, Joan Miró, Marcel Duchamp, Antoni Tapies, Robert Rauschenberg, and Roberto Matta. Several of his poems have also been adapted into choral music by composer Eric Whitacre, including "Water Night", "Cloudburst", and "A Boy and a Girl."
As an essayist Paz wrote on topics like
Mexican politics and economics, Aztec art, anthropology, and sexuality. His book-length essay, The Labyrinth of Solitude (Spanish: El laberinto de la soledad), delves into the minds of his countrymen, describing them as hidden behind masks of solitude. Due to their history, their identity is lost between a pre-Columbian and a Spanish culture, negating either. A key work in understanding Mexican culture, it greatly influenced other Mexican writers, such as Carlos Fuentes.
Quotes by Octavio Paz
Reality is a staircase going neither up nor down, we don’t move; today is today, always is today.

The North American system only wants to consider the positive aspects of reality. Men and women are subjected from childhood to an inexorable process of adaptation; certain principles, contained in brief formulas are endlessly repeated by the Press, the radio, the churches, and the schools, and by those kindly, sinister beings, the North American mothers and wives. A person imprisoned by these schemes is like a plant in a flowerpot too small for it: he cannot grow or mature.
To read a poem is to hear it with our eyes; to hear it is to see it with our ears.

Brotherhood
Homage to Claudius Ptolemy
I am a man: little do I last and the night is enormous.But I look up:the stars write.Unknowing I understand:I too am written,and at this very moment someone spells me out.

6 comments:

Kilauea Poetry said...

Hi there- His face..if I could say countenance from this pic.. almost resembles my dads who will be 93 years this October..funny, same birthdate as my husbands.
North American mothers & wives has me going? I can only speak as a seeker and an individual in that say,.. a child peering out like a clam at a huge world..that's what you'd see -a system. I guess it's why I ended up un-schooling..refusing to even lead them down that road (government Ed) and eventually doing the same with organized religion? All an all we faired much better..and the result (the best part) would be that we relate- although I naturally dumped on them (smiles) An interesting post to bat around here, though I haven't read his poetry. I'd like to hear your thoughts anyway? Regina-

Lavender and Vanilla Friends of the Gardens said...

Hi Regina, thank you for your comment. I put this photo of him because his life is etched in his face. (It is wonderful that your dad has already reached 93. I hope he is well.) I like to think out of the square the establishment wants us to think. I question everything. I do not agree with much what is going on in our world, where it is going and how. Anyway I do not agree with everything Octavio had to say.
but he was a great Thinker and I admire him. Give your children the best you can, we are all individuals and question everything. Accept what you think is morally right.

Kilauea Poetry said...

Hi..thanks for your comments on my poem (so appreciate the encouraging imput)!
I hear you here...His face is deep and speaking out of the square- it's like there has to be a place to say- hey, I admire something here..have a look and be able to engage in dialog without fear or putting up walls-
"The North American system only wants to consider the positive aspects of reality. Men and women are subjected from childhood to an inexorable process of adaptation; certain principles, contained in brief formulas are endlessly repeated by the.." I found this very interesting..could be a lot of truth here.
Have a great day Tatania-
p.s. that's a lovely lavender hibiscus? Awesome-

D'Rimba said...

I just love nature so much...Thanks for remembering and understand me deeply from your heart.....My kindness friend...

Frieda said...

Hallo liebe Titania

Octavio Paz, den Namen habe ich mir gleich aufgeschrieben, werde mich dann im Internet noch kundig machen über ihn, da ich ihn und seine Werke nicht kenne.

Doch es gefällt mir, was Du über ihn geschrieben hast. Ja die Realität ist immer JETZT, es gibt keine andere. Und eine Person, gefangen in diesen Schemen, ist wie eine Pflanze in einem für sie zu kleinen Bumentopf, sie kann nicht wachsen und gedeien.

Das sagt mir sehr viel, liebe Titania, schöner Post.
Herzliche Grüsse
Elfe

Lavender and Vanilla Friends of the Gardens said...

Liebe Elfe du hast das komplet verstanden. Er war manchmal ein bisschen bizarre aber das ist das prerogative eines dichters.