Plaka: Literature: Poetry

Modern Greek Poetry

Twice Greeks have won the Nobel prize for literature, and they were both poets: George Seferis (1963) and Odysseus Elytis (1979). To those names, other well known figures such as C. P. Cavafy and Yannis Ritsos would be added to make the point that this is one of the special contributions of the Greeks.

Generalization about poetry is useless, but I admire the Greek poetry because it often has a dynamism, it is not about still life. Greek poetry is often aware of the political, speaks of the agony of the human situation of facing death but having infinite dreams and can be unashamedly passionate.

Four Famous Modern Greek Poets (and links to sites specific to these poets)

Constantine P. Cavafy (1863 - 1933)
Author of Ithaka, resident of Alexandria, Egypt.

Odysseus Elytis (1911-1996) Nobel laureate, 1979.
More on Elytis from other sites:
The Nobel Foundation's page: biography and works. (Up 10/21/06; posted 1/14/00)

Yiannis Ritsos (1909-1990)
Three poems from Ritzos, translated by Effie Spentzou. (Up 8/26/99)

George Seferis (1900-1971) Nobel laureate, 1963.
More on Seferis from other sites:
The Nobel Foundation's page: biography and works.(Up 10/21/06; posted 1/14/00)
Basileios F. Drolias has an extensive site on Seferis with biography, poems and photos. (Up 8/26/99)

Links to General Greek Poetry Sites