Variaciones alrededor de la nada

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July 14, 2026

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Variaciones alrededor de la nada (1936), meaning "Variations About Nothing," is a collection of deeply confessional poems by Colombian poet León de Greiff. The work features philosophical speculations on love, the artistic ideal, and life as an adventure. Greiff was known for his stylistic innovations in poetry, including word invention and the use of unusual adjectives to create symbolic meanings.1

The concept of "emptiness" in mysticism and religion refers to a state of pure consciousness devoid of particular objects or images, reflecting an undifferentiated reality. This theme appears in various traditions, such as Taoism, Buddhism, and Jewish mysticism. The term "nothing" in the title may allude to these philosophical or mystical concepts of emptiness.2

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León de Greiff
Variaciones alrededor de la nada (1936; “Variations About Nothing”) contains deeply confessional poems with philosophical speculations on the nature of love, the artistic ideal, and the poet’s feeling of life as an adventure.
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Variaciones alrededor de la nada (1936; “Variations About Nothing”) contains deeply confessional poems with philosophical speculations on the nature of love, the artistic ideal, and the poet’s feeling of life as an adventure.
Read More