In 1977 the Puerto Rican poet, critic, and essayist Francisco Matos Paoli was nominated for the Nobel Prize in literature for his voluminous, outstanding work. In recognition of his substantial contribution to world literature, the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) had selected this poet-in-residence as a potential candidate for the prestigious award. Through his poetry Matos Paoli reflects upon various aspects of human existence such as religion (in particular Christian faiths), mystic and spiritual experiences, love, death, solitude, social justice, suffering, freedom, the landscape, and fellow Puerto Ricans--themes that exemplify the transcendental significance of his work. They mirror his own metaphysical and political circumstances in Puerto Rico during the first and last decades of the twentieth century. By the same token, Matos Paoli manifests genuine commitment to the aesthetic value of his poetic endeavors through the vast quantity of his published and unpublished works. Because of his extensive writings...