I am writing about Octavio Pazs poem entitled, As one Listens to the Rain, I dont know why I chose to write about this poem. I chose it mainly because I dont know what it means but I like what it is saying. I guess you can interpret it in many ways. I asked a couple of my friends and they thought he was speaking to a woman, or speaking of life or even death. The part I like most about the poem are the contradictions used, for example in lines eleven through fourteen, listen to me as one listens to the rain, / without listening, hear what I say / with eyes open inward, asleep / with all five senses awake, I think the imagery of the poem is phenomenal, your fingers of water dampen my forehead, / your fingers of flame burn my eyes, / your fingers of air open eyelids of time. The constant repetition of the first line sets a certain tone to the poem. Its almost like a yearning-wanting tone, to listen to what the speaker is saying because its important. I however dont know what the speaker is saying I just like the syntax of the poem. The words chosen so carefully if he is speaking to a woman he doesnt just come out and say it. He describes her using nature and what is around him; the rain, the lightning, the waves, the air, the wet asphalt. I also like this piece because you understand what the speaker is feeling without even knowing by his description. After reading this poem I thought about how you actually listen to the rain, as he describes in line two, not attentive, not distracted, how you just kind of listen. You arent listening for it, but you still hear it and you still know its there. Also in lines thirteen and fourteen when he writes, asleep / with all five senses awake, almost like in a different state of mind or while dreaming; the way the time is described, the day is still leaving, / the night has yet to arrive. I think all these aspects of the poem help draw out the poem because you can picture it in your head, you...
