‘Brotherhood’ by Octavio Paz - Questions & Answers (Marks

Brotherhood

Octavio Paz

Questions & Answers (Marks – 5) – D.A.Q

1. ‘Brotherhood’ by Octavio Paz - the significance of the title.

Answer: The title of Paz's poem consists of a word namely ‘Brotherhood’, meaning an organic and harmonious relationship between two persons or among different persons.

Thus, the title word arouses us curiosity as to the names of the persons, the nature of this brotherhood and the impact of this relationship upon their existence.

At the very outset of the poem, the poet introduces himself through the pronoun ‘I’ and the focus upon his finite existence suggested through the word ‘man’ and of the triviality of his existence, suggested through ‘little do I last’ sets up his brotherhood with other finite individuals of the universe.

However, the speaker does not remain satisfied with this kind of brotherhood; rather he strives for a greater brotherhood. So though he acknowledges the enormity of the night, he looks upward. His head does not help him to unveil the mystery surrounding the infinite universe but his heart helps him to realize it.

The stars bound in the relationship of fraternity with the tireless pieces of the universe make the story out of their reality through light and darkness.

As a finite human being the poet is written by his creator, namely the God. Side by side the thought that his poetry is written by him gives him the position of a creator and thus his brotherhood with the God is established.

The earlier dependency at the speaker's finite existence is replaced by happiness in achieving brotherhood with the infinite. It is the readers who acknowledged his relationship.

Thus the title word becomes suggestive of a different kind of brotherhood other than the biological one.

2. Discuss 'Brotherhood’ as a philosophical poem

Answer: Philosophy is always linked with issues of life and death. This thought of life and death when applied to poetry no longer remains simplified but rather takes a special dimension.

“Brotherhood” by Octavio Paz which keeps death at the background and life in the foreground opens with the frank confession of the finite existence of man:

“I am a man: little do I last.”

To a finite human being such as the poet, ‘death’ is immanent. Naturally ‘night’, a manifestation of time which is a part of the universe, appears to him to be infinite.

Besides, he suddenly realizes that as a creation of the God his existence has been written by the God. Therefore, the poet has drawn a magnificent philosophical view upon his existence. He confirms that as a poet he is the creator and his poems are the creations.

If the God is the creator by virtue of being the main spring behind all living and non living beings of the earth, the poet can be called a creator of the poems which he has written.

Thus, the poet can claim brotherhood with the God, the supreme infinite with a firm philosophical view. Thus, the poem, 'Brotherhood’ can be considered as a philosophical poem.

“I am a man: little do I last” - Brotherhood by Octavio Paz

3. “I am a man: little do I last”- Explain the expression. What does he want to show by the expression “the night is enormous”?

Answer: The expression, “I am a man” refers to the fact that the speaker is a common human being. The expression implies that as a human being his existence is finite.

The acknowledgement of his finite existence indicates that he is not satisfied at this kind of existence. Side by side it conveys the impression that he wants to come out of this cocoon of his finite existence but pathetically fails to accomplish it.

The expression, “little do I last” only reinforces the idea stated as well as suggested by “I am a man”. The verb ‘last’ means to ‘exist’. What the poet wants to say is that he has a short existence. Since he is a man and as a man is mortal by nature he is bound to have a finite existence so to say.

‘Night’ is a particular phase of time. Since time is an element of the universe, ‘night’ is also a part of the universe. Night has not appeared before the poet in any special dimension.

Since he is painfully aware of the reality of his finite existence and wants to come out of it, he cannot but be overwhelmed by the enormity of night.

Actually it is impossible for a mortal and finite human being to have control over infinite things such as ‘night’. Thus a feeling of despondency seems to have gripped his mind.

From the symbolic point of view ‘night’ stands for death. The fear of death here seems to have emptied his joy of living. ‘Night’ also intensifies the helplessness since the atmosphere of ‘night’ is such that one is bound to be mentally cowed down in such a situation.

Thus, the expression ‘night is enormous’ belittles the existence of man as a man and prepares the stages for a dramatic change in the next lines.

4. Can you find any allegorical elements in the poem, ‘Brotherhood’? Make a note on the use of symbols used in this poem.

Answer: An allegory is poem which has a deeper meaning other than the literal one. The poet achieves this deeper meaning by virtue of symbols. From the literal point of view ‘Brotherhood’ is about the poet’s experience in a starlit night.

However, from another perspective this poem may be said to allegorize the triviality of the existence of man in the universe. To poetise this idea, the poet has used certain symbols. The speaker symbolizes every man. He is a finite creature and is aware of his basically mortal nature.

Not only that the enormousness of ‘night’ symbolizes to him the infinite nature of the universe. Night also symbolizes despair and helplessness associated with death. Indeed it is the thought of death which has gripped the mind of the speaker.

However, he does not become repressed by the situation; rather he looks upward for a new inspiration and needless to say he is not disappointed.

He looks at the stars twinkling in the sky of the night. The stars symbolize position of guiding spirit. They seem to write about their existence by virtue of their twinkling light.

Had the speaker not being a poet, he would have to be satisfied with his trivial existence. Thus, if this special identity is overlooked, the poet himself will appear as a symbol and his poem ‘Brotherhood’ will achieve the status of an allegory.

5. Why does Paz dedicate ‘Brotherhood’ to Ptolemy?

Answer: Claudius Ptolemy was a famous Greek astronomer. His principle theory was on the rhythmic motion of the stars.

Paz has drawn the inspiration from this concept as the dedicatory expression ‘Homage to Claudius Ptolemy’ suggests.

Actually the starts play an important role in the poem, ‘Brotherhood’. The finite existence and mortal nature of human beings seem to have made the poet depressed. In such a situation ‘night’ appears to be enormous to the poet.

Not only that, the darkness of the ‘night’ intensifies his thought of death. In such a critical juncture the poet looks upward for a new experience and needless to say he is not disappointed.

Here the darkness of the earth is replaced by the light of the stars which illuminate the sky. However the poet very soon realized that since the stars write of their existence by themselves, his existence of a known entity is of no value in this case.

Thus the existence of the poet as a mortal and finite creature creates an obstruction in his achieving a special identity.

And it is the stars that make the poet understand his entity in the universe as they write their existence in whole universe. Thus had the stars not impressed the poet he would not have realized his brotherhood with the God, the supreme infinite. Quite naturally Paz dedicates the poem ‘Brotherhood’ to Ptolemy for providing him the base upon which the superstructure could have been made.

6. How does Octavio Paz describe the universe around us in ‘Brotherhood’?

Answer: Octavio Paz’s ‘Brotherhood’ is set to protest the position of man in the universe. Naturally, the projection of the universe becomes a focal point of this poem. According to Paz, the universe is large and is crowded by the creation of the God. One such type of creation is human being in general and the poet in particular. Human beings are mortal by nature and so they have a finite existence. Naturally, they have no control over the infinite universe.

It is this imaginative frame of mind which makes the poet to draw an analogy between him and the God as creator. As a creator the poems are the creation of him.

With the God as the creator the beings like men are his creations do as a man the speaker is a creation, as a poet he is a creator. Naturally, the poet can claim his affinity to the God and thus his brotherhood with the supreme infinite, i.e. the God is established.

The readers of the poems of the poet who are also human beings play a considerable role in giving the poet an elevated status since they acknowledge the originality, charm and literary merit of his poems.

Thus, when the universe frightens man in the form of darkness of the night, it gives man hope in the shape of light and to crown all helps to bring out all the latent qualities of men and thereby fulfilling his dream.

7. Comment on the role of the starts in Octavio Paz’s poem, ‘Brotherhood’.

Answer: In the poem, ‘Brotherhood’, the stars give the poet the impression that he has an identity other than of his being a finite and mortal creature.

As immortal human being the poet is aware of his finite existence and of his being a non-entity in the infinite universe. The poet realized that since the stars write of their existence by themselves, his existence of a non-entity is of no value in this case. Thus the existence of the poet as a mortal and finite creature creates an obstruction in his achieving a special identity.

Yet, it is the stars that make the poet understand his entity in the universe as they write their existence in whole universe. Thus had the stars not impressed the poet he would not have realized his brotherhood with the God, the supreme infinite.

8. "Unknowing I understand" – what does the expression suggest in the poem ‘Brotherhood’?

Answer: The epigrammatic expression ‘Unknowing I understand’ refers to the fact that all of a sudden the poet has a realization and that this realization has not been prompted by reason. The poet realizes that in spite of his finite existence, he has another identity and that has a positive influence on his life so to say. The poet is too much conscious both of his mortal existence and non-existence of infinity. Since the universe is infinite, ‘night’ a manifestation of this universe other than ‘day’, is enormous.

‘Night’, however, symbolizes problem and confusion and the poet fails to find any special identity for himself. However, the prevailing circumstance cannot demoralize him; Rather, he decides to shift his focus from the earth to the sky. The darkness of the earth is however replaced by the light of the stars which illuminate the sky. However, the poet very soon realizes that since the stars write of their existence by themselves, his existence of a known entity is of no value. Thus, the existence of the poet as a mortal and finite creature creates an obstruction in his achieving a special identity.

Finally, when he realizes that he has achieved a special and obviously a superior identity for himself, he feels that both the God and his readers are acknowledging this identity of him. This understanding is the most charming aspect of this poem from the thematic point of view.

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