Piedra de Sol

Published in 1957, Piedra de Sol is the most famous poem by Octavio Paz. The title refers to the ancient Aztec calendar stone, a carved monolith that represents the sun and time. Blending traditional and innovative poetry, Paz employs the sunstone as a metaphor for a vibrant and emotional approach to time, history, and love. The poem explores the intersection between personal and collective history and the connection between the individual and the cosmos. Octavio Paz received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1990, and Piedra de Sol remains one of his most celebrated and studied works.

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The app Piedra de Sol lets you enjoy the poem in the voice of Octavio Paz, with audio synchronized to the text, as well as Fabienne Bradu in French, and Eliot Weinberger in English. Curated by Armando González Torres, it also features a collection of studies, interviews, photos, a contextual timeline, audiovisual materials, and related documents.

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‍Piedra de Sol is part of an app series launched in 2011 by Mexico's Ministry of Culture featuring the life and work of celebrated Mexican poets, including Octavio Paz, José Gorostiza, Amado Nervo, Jorge Cuesta, and Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz ⎯ whose goal is to imagine new ways to bring literature closer to new generations through digital technologies.

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