Return (Masterplots II: Poetry, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Octavio Paz
- First Published: 1976
- Type of Work: Lyric
- Genres: Poetry, Lyric poetry
- Subjects: Culture, Suffering, Memory, Twentieth century, Middle classes, Communication, Roads, streets, or highways, Death or dying, Greed, Corruption, Mexico or Mexicans, Cities or towns
The Poem
The 168 lines of “Return” are divided into 7 stanzas of unequal length. “Return” marks Octavio Paz’s return to Mexico City after serving as Mexico’s ambassador to India between 1962 and 1968. He resigned this post after the massacre of Mexican students at Tlatelolco in 1968. The Lopez Velarde epigraph, which refers to the destruction of the Catholic provinces during the Mexican Revolution, calling the country “the subverted paradise,” mirrors Paz’s revulsion at seeing modern Mexico debased by a megalomaniac government and compliant citizens.
...[The entire page is 1733 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
See Also
