The Writing in the Stars: A Jungian Reading of the Poetry of Octavio Paz

181 Pages·2007·1.59 MB·English

by  Rodney Williamson

THE WRITING IN THE STARS:
A JUNGIAN READING OF THE POETRY OF OCTAVIO PAZ
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RODNEY WILLIAMSON
The Writing in the Stars
A Jungian Reading of the Poetry
of Octavio Paz
UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO PRESS
Toronto Buffalo London
www.utppublishing.com
© University of Toronto Press Incorporated 2007
Toronto Buffalo London
Printed in Canada
isbn 978-0-8020-9084-3
Printed on acid-free paper
University of Toronto Romance Series
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
Williamson, Rodney, 1948–
The writing in the stars : a jungian reading of the poetry of
Octavio Paz / Rodney Williamson.
(University of Toronto romance series)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
isbn-13: 978-0-8020-9084-3
isbn-10: 0-8020-9084-2
1. Paz, Octavio, 1914–1998 – Criticism and interpretation.
2. Jung, C.G. (Carl Gustav), 1875–1961. 3. Archetype (Psychology)
in literature. I. Title. II. Series.
pq7297.p285z969 2006 861’.62 c2006-904848-7
The author wishes to express his special thanks to Marie José Tramini for her
kind permission to quote her late husband’s poetry in the original.
This book has been published with the help of funds from the Research
and Publications Committee of the Faculty of Arts, University of Ottawa.
University of Toronto Press acknowledges the financial assistance to its
publishing program of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario
ArtsCouncil.
University of Toronto Press acknowledges the financial support for its
publishing activities of the Government of Canada through the Book
Publishing Industry Development Program (BPIDP).
This book is dedicated
To Octavio Paz, the man, and Mexico’s greatest poet
To my father, and to all who wish to read Octavio Paz in languages
beyond his own
To Irene, my wife and significant other, for her love
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Contents
Prelude 3
Phase One Libertad bajo palabra: The Dialogue with the Other 14
Phase Two Piedra de sol: The Birth of Ego Consciousness and the
Search for Self 49
Phase Three Blanco: Mandala and the Ritual of Meaning 94
Phase Four Vuelta, Nocturno de San Ildefonso, and Pasado en claro: The
Circular Journey and Return to the Source 111
Phase Five Carta de creencia: The Human Couple 131
Conclusions: A Handful of Words 141
Notes 145
References 159
Index 167
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THE WRITING IN THE STARS:
A JUNGIAN READING OF THE POETRY OF OCTAVIO PAZ