Subversion and inspiration are fundamental concepts in the poetics of Octavio Paz. Following the programs of creacionismo and surrealism they are part of a self-reflexive and emancipatoric poetological position of the author. They are used by him to produce figures of transpersonal speech (as in his essay ›El arco y la lira‹) and to underline the ambiguity of the poetic word (as in his poem ›Blanco‹).