Paz, Octavio, << pahs, ohk TAH vyoh >> (1914-1998), a Mexican poet and essayist, won the 1990 Nobel Prize for literature. He was the first Mexican author to receive the prize. Paz’s works reflect a range of influences, including Aztec mythology, Marxism, Asian philosophy, surrealism, and symbolism.
Paz’s collection Liberty Under Oath (1960) consists of poems written between 1935 and 1957. The Collected Poems of Octavio Paz, 1957-1987 (1987) includes his well-known “Sunstone.” This poem uses contrasting images to symbolize the inevitable loneliness of individuals and their search for union with others. The Poems of Octavio Paz was published in 2012, after his death.
Paz wrote essays on many subjects, including anthropology, literature, philosophy, and science. The Labyrinth of Solitude (1950) is a collection dealing with the character of the Mexican people. In “The New Mexico” (1970), Paz analyzed civilization, language, and political protest. El mono gramático (1972) combines essay, narration, and poetry to give his views on life and art. His reflections on modern history appear in One Earth, Four or Five Worlds (1985). His essays on modern poetry were collected in The Other Voice (1991).
Paz was born on March 31, 1914, in Mexico City. From 1962 to 1968, he served as Mexico’s ambassador to India. He died on April 19,1998.
