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Octavio Paz Quotes

Poet

Octavio Paz (March 31, 1914 - April 19, 1998) was a renowned Mexican poet, essayist, and diplomat. He is considered one of the greatest Spanish-language poets of the 20th century, known for his unique poetic style and profound intellectual depth.

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All Art Poetry World Humans Language Men Love Is Reality Solitude Ifs Speak Thinking Two Amor Octavio Paz Way Criticism Death Different Disappear

Famous Octavio Paz Quotes

“Images, memories, fragmentary shapes and forms all those sensations, visions, half-thoughts that appear and disappear in the wink of an eye, as one sets forth to meet.... The path also disappears as I think of it, as I say it.”

Thinking Eye Form Memories Half Vision Path Shapes Disappear Sensations

Book:The Monkey Grammarian

Source: The Monkey Grammarian

“Poetry, in the past, was the center of our society, but with modernity it has retreated to the outskirts. I think the exile of poetry is also the exile of the best of humankind.”

Thinking Past Our Society Poetry Is Humankind Exile Modernity

Author:Octavio Paz

“Believing ourselves to be possessors of absolute truth degrades us: we regard every person whose way of thinking is different from ours as a monster and a threat and by so doing turn our own selves into monsters and threats to our fellows.”

Thinking Way Believe Persons Different Self Truth Turns Human Nature Absolutes Regard Fellows Threat Monsters Way Of Thinking Degrade Absolute Truth

Author:Octavio Paz

“Modern man likes to pretend that his thinking is wide-awake. But this wide-awake thinking has led us into the mazes of a nightmare in which the torture chambers are endlessly repeated in the mirrors of reason.”

Thinking Men Reason Modern Mirrors Terrorism Wide Likes Awake Torture Nightmare Chamber Mazes Modern Man Wide Awake

Book:The Labyrinth of Solitude: And the Other Mexico ; Return to the Labyrinth of Solitude ; Mexico and the United States ; The Philanthropic Ogre

Source: The Labyrinth of Solitude: And the Other Mexico ; Return to the Labyrinth of Solitude ; Mexico and the United States ; The Philanthropic Ogre

“There is nothing sacred or untouchable except the freedom to think. Without criticism, that is to say, without rigor and experimentation, there is no science, without criticism there is no art or literature. I would also say that without criticism there is no healthy society.”

Thinking Art Literature Healthy Criticism Sacred Experimentation Rigor Untouchables Healthy Society

Author:Octavio Paz

“Light is time thinking about itself.”

Thinking Light

Author:Octavio Paz

“Man does not speak because he thinks; he thinks because he speaks. Or rather, speaking is no different than thinking: to speak is to think.”

Thinking Men Doe Different Speak Conversation

Book:Alternating Current

Source: Alternating Current

About the Author

Born: March 31, 1914
Died: April 19, 1998
Known for: Poet
Quotes: 171

Books & Sources

Alternating CurrentRelated source material

The Double Flame: Love and EroticismRelated source material

The Labyrinth of Solitude: And the Other Mexico ; Return to the Labyrinth of Solitude ; Mexico and the United States ; The Philanthropic OgreRelated source material

Selected poemsRelated source material

The Labyrinth of Solitude and Other WritingsRelated source material

The Collected Poems of Octavio Paz, 1957-1987Related source material

Sombras De ObrasRelated source material

Освящение мигаRelated source material

1904-1912Related source material

A Draft of Shadows and Other PoemsRelated source material

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