The Other Voice: Essays on Modern Poetry

by Octavio Paz

In seven elegant essays that range across centuries and literatures, Paz offers his thoughts on how modern poetry came to be, what makes it “modern,” and what it may become. Translated by Helen Lane.

Genres: Poetry, Essays, Literary Criticism, Nonfiction, Literature, Criticism

180 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

About the author

Octavio Paz Lozano was a Mexican writer, poet, and diplomat, and the winner of the 1982 Neustadt International Prize for Literature and the 1990 Nobel Prize for Literature ("for impassioned writing with wide horizons, characterized by sensuous intelligence and humanistic integrity.")

Reviews

[Samir Rawas Sarayji · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful collection of essays albeit repetitive in theme and certain arguments that Paz makes for the case of poetry. Paz believes in the necessity of poetry in the arts and in life, and makes compelling arguments for the survival of poetry. There is no doubt he is a well read man whose profund knowledge comes across subtly and convincingly in his explanations. There are interesting links and connections he makes regarding different writers or different disciplines that all work well. Well worth a read for anyone interested about poetry.

[Μιχάλης Παπαχατζάκης · Rating 2 out of 5]

«Η αρχαία ιατρική -όπως και η φιλοσοφία, με πρώτο τον Πλάτωνα- απέδιδε το ποιητικό χάρισμα σε μία ψυχική διαταραχή. Ήταν μια μανία, δηλαδή ένα ιερό μένος, ένας ενθουσιασμός, μια έκσταση. Ωστόσο, η μανία δεν είναι παρά ο ένας από τους πόλους της διαταραχής• ο άλλος είναι η absentia, το εσωτερικό κενό, αυτό το "μελαγχολικό χασμουρητό", για το οποίο μιλάει ο ποιητής. Πληρότητα και κενότητα, πτήση και πτώση, ενθουσιασμός και μελαγχολία: ποίηση.» (σελ.180).

Το παρόν βιβλίο είναι μια σύνθεση διαλέξεων και ομιλιών του διάσημου μεξικανού ποιητή Οκτάβιο Παζ με θέμα την ποίηση, ή σωστότερα την υπεράσπιση της ποίησης από την ισοπέδωση της σύγχρονης εποχής. Εκδόθηκε το 1990.

«Σ' έναν κόσμο που διέπεται από τη λογική του εμπορίου και, στις κομμουνιστικές χώρες, από τη λογική της αποτελεσματικότητας, η ποίηση είναι μια δραστηριότητα με μηδενική οικονομική απόδοση. Τα προϊόντα της πουλιούνται λίγο και έχουν μικρή χρησιμότητα (εκτός από τις περιπτώσεις που χρησιμεύουν ως προπαγάνδα [... ]» (σελ.183)

Ο Οκτάβιο Παζ σταχυολογεί την εξέλιξη της ποίησης από τα ομηρικά έπη μέχρι την σημερινή εποχή, της λεγόμενης μετανεωτερικότητας, όπου επισημαίνει αφενός τα χαρακτηριστικά που πήρε στην πορεία των αιώνων και αφετέρου τους κινδύνους που εγκυμονεί η νέα εποχή. Η οπτική του είναι η οπτική αυτού που υπερασπίζεται τον αιώνα του και διαπιστώνει με πίκρα ότι σήμερα δεν υπάρχουν νέα ποιητικά ρεύματα και κινήματα.Εντουτοις πάντα θα υπάρχουν ποιητές και αναγνώστες γιατί, όπως λέει ο ίδιος «Η ποίηση είναι η Μνήμη που γίνεται εικόνα και η εικόνα που μετατρέπεται σε φωνή.»

[Derek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of these essays are profound. The book is almost a course in the history and nature of modern poetry. The author’s erudition, cosmopolitanism, and precision are often awe-inspiring. A few essays are just slightly dated at this point.

[Jim Puskas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do not be misled by the size of this book. At a mere 160 pages, this set of essays covers a lot of ground and punches far above its weight. I found it both worthwhile—and indeed necessary—to read each essay at least twice, and I found myself going back, over and over again, to earlier passages.
Octavio Paz sets out to define the place of poetry in today’s post-modern age; exploring “the immense minority” who read poems today, asking whether that matters, and if so, why and how. Each of six essays brings a new perspective to that question, and then he wraps up his argument most powerfully in the seventh essay, first looking back on the oppressive political and doctrinaire onslaught faced by all of literature during the 20th century. And then:
“Today, literature and the arts are threatened by a faceless, soulless, directionless economic process. The market is circular, impersonal, impartial, inflexible. The market, blind and deaf, is not fond of literature or of risk, and it does not know how to choose. Its censorship is not ideological: it has no ideas. It knows all about prices but nothing about values.”
On a more optimistic note, Paz muses on the value and prospect of imagination:
”The operative mode of poetic thought is imagining, and imagination consists, essentially, of the ability to place contrary or divergent realities in relationship”. He goes so far as to state that
“Poetry is the antidote to technology and the market!”
Perhaps without consciously setting out to do so, Paz emulates the role taken on by the great poets of antiquity and echoed by the epic poets of the Enlightenment: holding up a mirror to the society of their time. And he accomplishes quite a lot of that in far fewer words than a Milton or a Thoreau.

[John Hubbard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Paz writes seven essays which explore his thought on modern poetry and modern poetry readership. Some of the seven are worth reading. In the first Paz explores the extinction of the epic poem. The next memorable thoughts are about a type of differentiation or even definition of classical and modern. Classical poetry has the Bible and Christianity at its core. Modern poetry and modernity has revolution. Hmmm. Then Paz goes on a two essay rant against the use of poetry or literature in the studies of social sciences. Clearly, I disagree. Strangely, he then closes with an essay ”The Other Voice” in which he describes the poet as The Other, or at least the voice of the Other. It seems quite a strange contrast to the previous two in which he argued it seemed for pure aesthetical value. If one should not look at poetry as an important social indicant, how can the poet be the voice of the Other?

[Stuart · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am among the least poetic people around, being focused mostly on natural sciences, social sciences, and bureaucracy. But a friend's interest in Robert Frost led to my reading more about poetry, and eventually to this book, noticed in a used-book store. This book is short and easy to read; the writing is mostly simple and elegant. The many many literary and historical references are introduced without stuffiness or condescension; many sent me scurrying to reference sources, eager to learn more. There are many powerful insights, about history and poetry and politics. To my mind there are two weaknesses to this book. One is a tendency toward broad sweeping statements that ignore the many exceptions or, in some cases, drift into empty vapor. The other drawback is the familiar tendency of learned old men to bemoan the shallowness of recent events and literature. All in all, though, this book is well worth reading.

[Ach. Majid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Karena bagi Paz, keabadian terbebas dari waktu dan suksesi. Ini adalah waktu yang berjalan abadi sebagai karya seorang penulis. Ini adalah buku yang bagian-bagian idenya tidak bisa dipisah-pisahkan. Harus dibaca secara mendalam.

[Budi Ginting III]

capee deh baca nya ...

[Shr-Hua Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Are we witnessing the dawn of humanity or its twilight? This is what Octavio Paz attempts to answer by analyzing modern poetry and the Modernist movement in general over a series of essays published in the waning days of the 20th century. Here’s a brief overview of my favorites:

“Breach and Convergence”— Paz explores modernism and how the idea of time disintegrates into a roiling sea of past, present, future, real, and unreal. He also expresses the belief that postmodernism is not the linear successor to modernism (it’s rather a subset of modernity) which is something that I tend to agree with.

“The Few and the Many”— this deals with the concept of the ‘immense minority’ of people that read poetry, which is argued to be at historic highs while retaining an aesthetic image of rebellion and obscurity. I agree with this to an extent, although I think the advent of the digital revolution has led this minority to decrease at least a little (although I think the position of poetry/literature is still leagues ahead of what it used to be 100-200 years ago)

“Quantity and Quality”— this is where Paz decries the function of large book publishers and how they selectively market books that exclude minority writers and viewpoints. I would be VERY interested to see what he thinks of the contemporary megacorporations that sell books but also try to highlight minority voices, even if it’s debatably motivated by making a financial profit.

Overall, the ‘other voice’ of poetry is a voice of rebellion, history, and art all wrapped up into a symphony of sound and meaning. Although a bit outdated, this will give you an insightful perspective on modern poetry and what an excellent author thought of it. 4/5

[Kevin Fitzpatrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written on the cusp of the start of the tumultuous last decade of the twentieth century, "The Other Voice: Essays on Modern Poetry" by Nobel laureate Octavio Paz is a somewhat uneven work whose saving grace is moments of extreme critical acuity communicated in inspirational, poetic language. In fact, the greatest attribute of this work is its ability to translate the "feel" of poetry to the discussion of the differing trends, histories, and movements of written verse over the last two thousand or so years. Like reading a lyric poem of some sublime beauty (think Hopkin's "God's Grandeur"), the reading of Paz's short but essential tome is the perfect marriage of form and content, and is thus a fine endorsement of the continuing validity of poetry in our post-Romantic, post-Socialist, post-Modernist age. Moreover, and especially in the last chapter of the book, Paz's evocation of how poetry, by its listening to an "other," originary voice, can serve as a soteriological, saving mechanism for our new, unstable, unformed historical predicament is truly inspiring and hopeful. It is for this optimism, and for its trenchant analysis, that I wholly endorse this important work.

[Shane W. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Se canta una historia y así se cuenta una melodía como dijo Antonio Machado.

Los ensayos muy interesantes sobre la poesía contemporánea y la poesía histórica. No es difícil para realizar que el autor está realmente y profundamente enamorado en los poemas. Me parece muy inspirador la idea de la poesía como la medicina por la técnica y el mercado. Octavio Paz has dicho mucho sobre el aspecto político en los textos de poetas en estos días. Simbolismo, como el espejo de una misma vida. La función oral y los comenzados de poesía en la antigüedad en esa forma. Todos esos pensamientos me gustó mucho. Es una colección muy extraordinario y voy a reflexionarlo por algún tiempo sin lugar a duda.

[Margaryta · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading the titular essay in first year, and without the context of the remainder of the collection, it feels much more fulfilling going back and reading the book in its entirety. Paz is both wise and witty, and it's amazing how much of what he prophesizes still rings true today, while some of it has even come true. His words certainly sound differently now, after some more experience both in writing and studying literature, for me, maintaining their relevance while increasing their feeling of urgency.

[Noam Levinsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really smart essays. Obviously didn’t love the anti-communist stuff. Still, I think the argument about poetry’s relationship to revolution and religion was brilliant. The reflections on the nature of modern publishing and the postmodern were also phenomenal.

[Fanny Rubi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Profundo y hermoso libro sobre poetas, poesía y literatura

[Ralph Burton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wonder what Paz thought of Bob Dylan’s Nobel prize.

[Giulio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uno dei più bei saggi sulla poesia che io abbia mai letto.