Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Between What I See and What I Say" by Octavio Paz is an exquisite exploration of the enigmatic essence of poetry. A Nobel Laureate, Paz is no stranger to delving into complex questions that challenge the mind and spirit, and this poem serves as a remarkable instance. The poem probes the liminal spaces that exist between perception and expression, silence and articulation, dream and memory, employing these ambiguities to pinpoint the ineffable nature of poetry.

The poem begins with a series of dichotomies: "Between what I see and what I say, / Between what I say and what I keep silent, / Between what I keep silent and what I dream, / Between what I dream and what I forget." Each pair presents a contrast, yet they are interlinked, forming the chain that holds the essence of "poetry." This series of contrasts acts as the poem's introduction to the enigmatic quality of poetry. As Paz eloquently puts it, poetry "slips / between yes and no," evading easy categorization or definition. It speaks the unspeakable and envisions the forgotten, making it more than just "speech" but an "act of speech."

Paz's focus on the act of speech reflects poetry's transitory but impactful nature, which is captured in the lines: "Poetry / speaks and listens: / it is real. / And as soon as I say / it is real, / it vanishes." This paradox points to the complex relationship between language and reality; language can conjure up but also destroy the object of its description.

In the second part of the poem, the dichotomies and paradoxes continue to flourish. Here, poetry is described as both "tangible idea" and "intangible word." It oscillates between the real and the unreal, knitting and unraveling "reflections." The lInes"Eyes speak, / words look, / looks think" showcase the fusion of sensory experience and cognitive processes that poetry engenders. This is not just a blending but a reversal of traditional roles of eyes, words, and thoughts, which heightens the sense of dislocation and makes the reader question the limits of language and perception.

By describing the interactive nature of these elements, Paz comments on the multidimensional characteristics of poetry. To understand poetry, one has to "hear thoughts, / see what we say, / touch the body of an idea." This synesthetic experience compels the reader to engage all their senses to grasp poetry's multifaceted essence.

Paz's poem is a philosophical investigation into the realms of art, reality, and expression. It mirrors the act it describes, slipping through the grasp just when you think you've understood it. It challenges not only the ways we understand poetry but also the very acts of seeing, speaking, and thinking. The poem becomes an existential query: "Is it then more real?" It posits that poetry, a human creation, serves as a lens through which we can briefly glimpse the complexities of existence. The ephemeral nature of this glimpse, in turn, makes it all the more precious. It may vanish as soon as we claim to understand it, but its impact echoes in our thoughts, becoming a part of our internal landscape. In this way, Paz both defInespoetry and leaves it undefined, capturing its eternal allure.

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