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'a Greek gentleman in a straw hat, standing absolutely motionless at a slight angle to the universe' E. M. Forster E. M. Forster's description of C. P. Cavafy (1863-1933) perfectly encapsulates the unique perspective Cavafy brought to bear on history and geography, sexuality and language in his poems. Cavafy writes about people on the periphery, whose religious, ethnic and cultural identities are blurred, and he was one of the pioneers in expressing a specifically homosexual sensibility. His poems present brief and vivid evocations of historical scenes and sensual moments, often infused with his distinctive sense of irony. They have established him as one of the most important poets of the twentieth century. This volume presents the most authentic Greek text of the 154 authorized poems ever published, together with a new English translation that conveys the accent and rhythm of Cavafy's individual tone of voice.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Obviously what poetry appeals to you is a personal matter so it's pointless for me to extol Cavafy's writing. I find it very direct and very poignant. Many of the poems have an 'end of period', romantic wistfulness. Be warned though that there is quite a variety here and possibly the bulk relying very much on classical allusions which I find slightly weighty sometimes. Though I found nothing that was not worth reading.
My understanding is that Cavafy only published his work privately and for selected friends. I was surprised how challenging his poetry is for somebody living between the mid 19th century and the 1930s. Many of the poems are openly intimate, erotic and with homosexual (excuse the old word!) grounding.
The introduction was excellent and the book very well laid out.
However the real treat for some people, and presumably students, is that the text is laid out in parallel English and Greek. The Greek is a strange mixture of forms but has a wonderfully light and rhymthic feel.
Given the low cost I would strong recommend it to anybody
My understanding is that Cavafy only published his work privately and for selected friends. I was surprised how challenging his poetry is for somebody living between the mid 19th century and the 1930s. Many of the poems are openly intimate, erotic and with homosexual (excuse the old word!) grounding.
The introduction was excellent and the book very well laid out.
However the real treat for some people, and presumably students, is that the text is laid out in parallel English and Greek. The Greek is a strange mixture of forms but has a wonderfully light and rhymthic feel.
Given the low cost I would strong recommend it to anybody
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
In the panorama of twentieth century poetry, Kavafis' work - presented here in the original Greek with the English parallel translation - occupies a special place. Dark, lonely to the limit of self-segregation, but at the same time attracted by the Mediterranean vitality and openness, the neo-Hellenic poet refuses en block every aspect of his time, diving instead, with constant wonder, into the suggestions of mythological legends and ancient history.
The result of this literary 'operation' is the continuous, desperate search for a mysterious and elusive Beauty, an evocation of hidden moments and loves sung now with violently sensual accents, now with heartfelt and nostalgic tones, mixed with a tragic vision of history as eternal struggle between men and destiny.
A truly beautiful anthology.
The result of this literary 'operation' is the continuous, desperate search for a mysterious and elusive Beauty, an evocation of hidden moments and loves sung now with violently sensual accents, now with heartfelt and nostalgic tones, mixed with a tragic vision of history as eternal struggle between men and destiny.
A truly beautiful anthology.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
First some comments on the edition: I compared this in a bookshop with other versions available, and by far and away I found this to be the best. The fact that this is a parallel text is a bonus for greek readers. However, the main selling point is the sensible and informative introduction, the useful chronology of Cavafy's life and the notes that don't try and explain the poems' meanings, but give you just enough to get going on making sense of the harder verses for yourself (which is always just as it should be in my view). I also compared the translations of a couple of poems, and plumped for this edition, since there's nothing unnatural or 'un-english' about the syntax or word choices. As the introduction states, Cavafy developed such a distinctive poetic voice that this can't help but come through in translation, and these renderings seem to do him full justice.
The poetry itself came as something of a pleasant surprise. I do have a liking for writers who take historical events and who try to explore them from the inside, from the points of view of those who were (or who may have been) there. Eliot's "Journey of the Magi" is an example of this. Robert Graves and Rudyard Kipling are two writers who did it at length. Cavafy is, I think, the master of them all. Being a Greek Alexandrian his work shows a keen sense of history, in particular an awareness of how important his city was in classical times. Hence his tendency to use his poetry to make sense of what it could have been like to live in classical times. A good example of this is the poem "A Priest at the Serapeum", which explores the complex and ambiguous thoughts of a son, a committed Christian, on the death of his father, a pagan priest at the City's most important temple.
Cavafy is also a great lyric poet. Homoerotic desire fuelled a lot of this work, but not all of it, and in lyrics like the famous "Ithaca" he strikes a universal chord. Regardless of your nationality, age or orientation, there's something in Cavafy that can speak to all of us.
Given that his total poetic output is relatively small, I wouldn't really bother with a selected edition. Get this book and it will last you a lifetime.
The poetry itself came as something of a pleasant surprise. I do have a liking for writers who take historical events and who try to explore them from the inside, from the points of view of those who were (or who may have been) there. Eliot's "Journey of the Magi" is an example of this. Robert Graves and Rudyard Kipling are two writers who did it at length. Cavafy is, I think, the master of them all. Being a Greek Alexandrian his work shows a keen sense of history, in particular an awareness of how important his city was in classical times. Hence his tendency to use his poetry to make sense of what it could have been like to live in classical times. A good example of this is the poem "A Priest at the Serapeum", which explores the complex and ambiguous thoughts of a son, a committed Christian, on the death of his father, a pagan priest at the City's most important temple.
Cavafy is also a great lyric poet. Homoerotic desire fuelled a lot of this work, but not all of it, and in lyrics like the famous "Ithaca" he strikes a universal chord. Regardless of your nationality, age or orientation, there's something in Cavafy that can speak to all of us.
Given that his total poetic output is relatively small, I wouldn't really bother with a selected edition. Get this book and it will last you a lifetime.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Cavafy poems in Greek & English.
A translation by Evangelos Sachperoglou very similar to the classic one by Mavrogordato published in 1951 but with the added interest of contributions by Anthony Hirst and Peter... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Daniels Wood
Amazing...
I first discovered Cavafy and his remarkable work when it was a compulsory part of my Modern Greek Alevel, and fell in love with him from there! Read more
Published 7 months ago by Ana
Listmania!
![[a spring's treefeller's poetry]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41QV8Ki6B7L._AA60_.jpg)
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