Poems

Poems cover
Good Books rating 4.25
Technical
  • ID: 1546
  • Added: 2025-10-08
  • Updated: 2025-10-08
  • Formats: 44
  • Reviews: 2
Reviews
edgeinducedcohesion.blog · Unknown · 2019-03-13
inspiring 4.00

The reviewer appreciates the extensive collection of Octavio Paz's poetry, spanning six decades, and finds it inspiring despite not sharing all of the poet's ideological commitments. The book's experimental nature and exploration of themes like identity, imprisonment, and Eastern thought make it a significant work, though its appeal may be limited to poetry enthusiasts.

The reviewer finds The Poems Of Octavio Paz to be a substantial and inspiring collection, even if they don't share all of the poet's ideological views. The book's experimental nature and the poet's consistent exploration of themes like identity, imprisonment, and Eastern thought make it a remarkable work. However, the reviewer acknowledges that the book's appeal may be limited to those who enjoy poetry and are willing to engage with its experimental style. The collection's breadth, spanning six decades, offers a comprehensive look at Paz's poetic evolution and his unique artistic vision.


Quick quotes

    The poetry here makes it easy to understand why it was that Octavio Paz won the Nobel Prize for literature.

    If I have read some poets I enjoy more, I have read a great many I enjoy less.

    Over and over again in these poems the poet returns to a familiar set of narrow concerns.

s-usih.org · Unknown · 2019-02-17
insightful 4.50

The review explores the contrasting poetic styles and political engagements of Octavio Paz and Pablo Neruda, highlighting Paz's abstract and philosophical approach versus Neruda's more direct and activist poetry. It delves into how their works influenced and reflected the socio-political landscapes of their respective countries, Mexico and Chile.

The review essay contrasts the poetic styles and political engagements of Octavio Paz and Pablo Neruda, two influential poets from the Americas. Paz's work is characterized by its abstract and philosophical nature, often exploring themes of history, mythology, and the autonomous power of language. His poetry, while intellectually dense, inspired student protests in Mexico during the 1960s, despite his lack of direct political solutions. Neruda, on the other hand, was more grounded in his humanism and activism, using his poetry to voice the struggles of the working class and to demand justice for the oppressed. His straightforward and powerful poems, such as 'Los enemigos,' resonated deeply with the public and served as a call to action. The review highlights how these two poets, both Nobel laureates, represented different approaches to poetry and its role in society, reflecting the shifting priorities of the global literary community.


Quick quotes

    The poems of Octavio Paz frequently involve manipulation of a conceptually dense, abstract if sensuously figured mixture of history, mythology, and philosophy.

    His work would seem an unlikely inspiration for protestors in the 1960s working to democratize and radicalize Mexican society.

    Neruda’s poem is no window for self-examination. His statement is theirs, as blunt, straightforward, and brutal as the experience of the Chilean people.