Time and Space: A Poetic Autobiography

by Juan Ramón Jiménez, Antonio T. de Nicolás (Translator)

Written while in exile in the United States, “Time” and “Space” were originally intended to appear together in a single volume. Not until 1986, however, did they appear so in Spanish— and not until 1988 were they published together in English. By presenting them together, Jiménez had wanted them to convey the same continuity of emotion, the same philosophical intensity, that he had experienced while writing them. “All My Life,” he wrote in his introduction, “I have toyed with the idea of writing a continuous poem...with no concrete theme, sustained only by its own surprise, its rhythm, its discoveries, its light, its successive joys; that is, its intrinsic elements, its essence.” That continuous poem is Time and Space the last book Jiménez wrote. Presented here in a bilingual edition, Time and Space will take readers of both English and Spanish on the longest and most sustained ride on the crest of poetry they will ever enjoy. “The greatest poem in this Century...” —Octavio Paz Antonio T. de Nicolás, translator and editor of Time and Space is also widely known for his highly acclaimed translation of the Juan Ramón Jiménez classic, Platero and I , as well as many other works in Spanish. His first book of poetry, Remembering the God to Come , is also being published by iUniverse.com.

Genres: Poetry

204 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

Platero y Yo (1914) ranks as most famous work of Spanish poet Juan Ramón Jiménez, who introduced modernism to Spanish verse and won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1956.

He won this prize "for his lyrical poetry, which in Spanish language constitutes an example of high spirit and artistical purity."

See also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_Ram...

Reviews

[Maria Hammon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had read this profound continuous poem by J.R.J. several years ago, but this time I read it in this lovely bilingual edition (translation by Antonio T. De Nicolas), which I found extremely well translated. As far as the poem itself, what else can I add to what Octavio Paz has perfectly stated about it, "The greatest poem in this Century..."

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

Described by Jiménez as not being a memoir, a stream-of-consciousness narrative, or poetry per se, it is really all three. Those accustomed to his verse style – brief, short, direct images – will find these long, rambling sentences to be a change of pace. While interesting for Jiménez’s insight into contemporaries and his descriptions of time in Florida, as well as occasional flourishes of poetic philosophizing, this is not an essential book, unless one wants to read everything by the poet translated into English.

[Benino · Rating 4 out of 5]

Time and Space is not an autobiography in the generic sense. It does not tell the life of Jiménez according to his historical life. Its two halves, composed of discrete fragments, demonstrate different approaches to voicing the mortal position of the poet in the world. This dual language edition includes the separate works in their previous forms, particularly Space in verse form, and unites the two halves as was originally intended.

Time defends Jiménez's writing against misappropriation and misperception in political circumstance, eulogises about his homelands to focus on the voice of the poet, and questions the figure of the child about the existence of God. It is in Space, however, where Jiménez's lyric imagery is released from this contingency, and the questions of self in the world are resolved in diaphanous expression of the poet's immortal love of consciousness in the cosmos. The beauty of Space elevates this poetic autobiography's appeal to its most universal, making this meditation an illuminating personal experience, too.