Hart is a freelance writer and former editor of a literary magazine. In the following essay, she takes Octavio Paz's concept of love as stated in his book The Double Flame and imposes it on his metaphoric narrative in his short story.

In "My Life with the Wave," Octavio Paz describes a brief and turbulent but, at the same time, sensual and erotic love affair. The male participant of the love affair appears to enter into it with great reluctance and to leave it with a sigh of relief. These are not the kind of ingredients that many people want to read about in relationship to the workings of a love affair; but these are the ingredients that Paz wants to describe. Paz may be very erotic in his writing about these two lovers, but he is no romantic. His concepts of love can be as harsh...