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4A Poet - Octavio Paz

by Liliana Ávila Montoya

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Octavio Paz
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Biography
Octavio Paz Lozano was born on March 31. He was a Mexican writer, poet, and diplomat. He was exposed to literature early in his life through his grandfather, a liberal intellectual and novelist. At the encouragement of Pablo Neruda, Paz began writing at an early age, publishing Luna Silvestre ("Wild Moon"), a collection of poems, in 1933. He won the 1990 Nobel Prize in Literature. On April 19, 1998, Octavio Paz died of cancer in Mexico City, Mexico.
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Interesting facts
He started his career in the Mexican Diplomatic Service in 1945, which lasted for twenty years and allowed him to go to France, Japan and India.

His literary work includes more than 20 poem books, almost 30 essay books, five translations and his Complete Works.

Some of his works are El Laberinto de la soledad ("The Labyrinth of Solitude"), Libertad bajo palabra, El arco y la lira, ¿Águila o sol? among others.
POEM
As One Listens to the Rain
Listen to me as one listens to the rain, not attentive, not distracted, light footsteps, thin drizzle, water that is air, air that is time, the day is still leaving, the night has yet to arrive, figurations of mist at the turn of the corner, figurations of time
at the bend in this pause, listen to me as one listens to the rain, without listening, hear what I say with eyes open inward, asleep with all five senses awake, it's raining, light footsteps, a murmur of syllables, air and water, words with no weight: what we are and are, the days and years, this moment, weightless time and heavy sorrow,
listen to me as one listens to the rain, wet asphalt is shining, steam rises and walks away, night unfolds and looks at me, you are you and your body of steam, you and your face of night, you and your hair, unhurried lightning, you cross the street and enter my forehead, footsteps of water across my eyes, listen to me as one listens to the rain.
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