Wind, Water, Stone

Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 1979

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Summary

Background

Poem Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Literary Devices

Further Reading & Resources

Related Poems

“Proem” by Octavio Paz (1986)

This prologue poem also appears in Paz’s The Collected Poems 1957-1987, a landmark bilingual collection of all his poems written between those years edited and compiled by his primary translator, Eliot Weinberger. The book also contains translations from some famous English-language American poets, like Elizabeth Bishop and Denise Levertov. Like “Wind, Water, Stone,” this poem is a translation into English by Weinberger. Unlike the poem on which this guide is focused, “Proem” provides explication of Paz’s poetics in his own words.

“In Her Splendor Islanded“ by Octavio Paz (1958)

This translation by Muriel Rukeyser appeared in the American journal Poetry in the 1950s, well before Paz’s work was widely translated and disseminated in English. The poem is a good example of the more prose-like verse that Paz was known to write, as well as an interesting artifact of Paz’s reception into the English language literary world before he was canonized.

“Ode to a Large Tuna in the Market“ by Pablo Neruda (2007)

This translation was published in Poetry in 2007 by poet Robin Robertson. Pablo Neruda encouraged a young Octavio Paz both in terms of his poetry and his politics. This poem gives a stark example of the different ways in which Paz and Neruda approached poetry, despite Neruda’s celebration of Paz’s work. Here, the poem reflects on water and nature much like “Wind, Water, Stone” but with a more intimate and imagistic lyrical voice.

Further Literary Resources

“Postcolonial Reconstruction: A Sociological Reading of Octavio Paz“ by Oliver Kozlarek (2011)

This scholarly text’s sections on Paz’s relationship to the Collège de Sociologie and Roger Caillois are crucial to understanding Caillois’ relationship to, and impact on, Paz’s poetics. The themes of “Wind, Water, Stone,” inspired as they are by the writings of Caillois and his intellectual cohort, are contextually presented in Kozlarek’s text.

Octavio Paz: Modern Critical Views by Harold Bloom (2002)

This text is one of a series written by arguably the most well-known and influential American literary critic of the late-20th century. This collection is a scholarly examination of Paz’s work.

“Octavio Paz, The Art of Poetry No. 42” by Alfred Mac Adam (1991)

This interview from The Paris Review’s 119th issue is the entry of their classic Art of Poetry series that turns its attention to Octavio Paz. Here, Adam interviews Paz on a variety of subjects, focusing on Paz’s relationship to his Mexican identity, the influence of politics on Paz’s career as a poet, and more.