I found this poem translated into 4 languages, in the notes for the cd. George seferis, greek poet, essayist, and diplomat who won the nobel prize for literature in 1963. Over the next few years, seferis made use of his position in the diplomatic service to strive towards a resolution of the cyprus dispute, investing a great deal of. This is a precopyedited, authorproduced pdf of an article accepted for. By using our website you agree to our use of cookies. Seferis thrush, a poem of 225 verses in three main parts, was written in. Read texts from modern greek literature and join the genius community of scholars to learn the meaning behind the words. Seferis s three secret poems george kalogeris is not, of course, the first translator to produce an english version of the last, and perhaps the most difficult, of seferis s books of poems. Winner of the nobel prize for literature in 1963, george seferis 190071 has long been recognized as a major international figure, and keeley and sherrard are his ideal translators. Ive kept a rein on my life, kept a rein on my life, travelling among yellow trees in driving. Complete poems of george seferis by edmund keeley author, philip sherrard translator 3. Seferis discovered eliots poetry while in london in the early 1930s.
Winner of the nobel prize for literature in 1963, george in this new edition of george seferiss poems, the acclaimed translations by edmund keeley and philip sherrard are revised and presented in a. You spoke about things they couldnt see and so they laughed. A stern career diplomat and greek public servant who. Greek poet george seferis was born georgios seferiades in urla, near smyrna now izmir, turkey. These three poems, presented chronologically, are the king of asine from 1940, thrush from 1947 and agianapa i from 1955. His father was a lawyer and later a university professor, as well as being a translator and poet. But to return to the fray shows some boldness, and not only because. George seferis thrush and the poetry of ezra pound george thaniel abstract thrush, the threepart poem george seferis wrote in 1946, seems to show the influence of the poetry of ezra pound, especially of two of the cantos, 1 and 39. It presents for the first time the complete notes for a week, three secret poems, and three later poems that were not collected by the poet himself but whose english translation he authorized during his lifetime. One of these is the long tradition of greek ballads and folk songs. This is a long essay, but theres a wee intermission in the middle, if youd prefer to read it in two bits. Giorgos seferis march 1900 20 september 1971 giorgos or george seferis was the pen name of georgios seferiades.
With what a heart, with what a breath, what desires and what passion. George or georgios seferis was born georgios seferiades in urla, near smyrna now izmir, turkey in 1900. In every poem, there is a sense of belonging to a place, a people, or to ones. His collections of poetry include strophe turning point, 1931, e sterna the. In this pdf, the asterisked poem titles are links to the relevant notes page, and clicking on the poem title in the notes will return you to the poem.
A translation of by the seashore or denial poem by. For the latter reason, i believe that he must have paid special attention to canto 39, in which we encounter again the figures of odysseus, elpenor, and circe, and the descent to hell theme. The major themes of his work included, among others, alienation, wandering, and death. Denial on the secret seashore and white like a dove we thirsted in midday. Elpenor is a recurring figure in seferiss poems and essays. The english translation, which i prefer simply because i read it first, is by edmund keeley and philip sherrard, princeton university press 1967. On seferis helen byzantine and modern greek studies. Giorgos seferis modern greek literature lyrics and. Just a little more poem by giorgos seferis poem hunter. Postbeat writing in america, appeared in contemporary foreign literature, accompanied by poems from five of the twentyfour poets who appear in this anthology. After the coup that overthrew the greek government in 1967, seferis went into voluntary seclusion and many of his poems were banned, including the musical versions which mikis theodorakis had written and arranged. A rocky promontory in the mediterranean, it has nothing to distinguish it but the efforts of its people, the sea, and the light of the sun. It would have been good to have a section on publications about seferis too.
Giorgos seferis poems poems of giorgos seferis poem hunter. Seferiss poem on aspalathoi to which heaney refers, is constantly overshadowed in all. Apr 24, 2015 george seferis was one of the most important greek poets of the twentieth century and nobel laureate, by george kalogeris, poet and professor of english literature and classics in translation at. Seferis, george article about seferis, george by the free. He worked as a diplomat for the royal greek ministry of foreign affairs and received the nobel prize in literature in 1963. After secondary education, seferis went to france, where he studied law at the sorbonne. He was committed to this value of the integrity of the human being to his sense that this integrity must not be violated, whatever the reason given or the excuses made, however good or convincing they may ap pear. Mar 11, 2015 posts about giorgios seferis written by davecoates. Days of 19451951 george seferis, athanasios anagnostopoulos translator 1583485341. He was one of the most important urlagreek poets of the 20th century. As all securities transacted through this custodian c account will be cleared through the phillip nominees account, all share purchases and subsequent sales must also be conducted through this account.
Seferis, george article about seferis, george by the. Mythistorema is a sequence of twentyfour lyric and dramatic poems in free verse. Master of the arts in literature international arts academy, 20. Comments by bob corbett august 20 i have found myself in a rather frustrating place in regards to my reading of george safaris poetry. There is a short bibliographical note of seferis s works. This barcode number lets you verify that youre getting exactly the right version or edition of a book. After studying law in paris, seferis joined the greek diplomatic service and served in london and albania prior to world war ii, during which time he was in exile with the free greek government. Pdf seferis, eliot, auden and cyprus joanna kruczkowska. These poems are wonderful in english, translated and introduced by edmund keeley and philip sherrard. Officium novum, the hilliard ensemble with jan garbarek. Seferis poetry seeks the essence of hellenism and the essence of topos, as the two consitutent elements of what it means to be a modern greek, and models for the reader the process of discovering the answers.
The flowering sea and the mountains in the moons waning the great stone close to the barbary figs and the asphodels the jar that refused to go dry at the end of day and the closed bed by the cypress trees and your hair golden. A little farther we will see the almond trees blossoming. After odysseus had subdued the witch circe she told him he could find the way back to ithaca by going to the land of the dead to ask directions of the ghost of the prophet tiresias. Find more prominent pieces of illustration at best visual art database. On return from paris, he joined the greek foreign ministry and had a long career as a diplomat, ending up as greek ambassador in london. In his later poems, especially the cyprus poems of logbook iii, seferis revisits the lessons of his historical poetics, opening up the possibility for myth to become more varied and move beyond the confines of greece. Cavafy translations, and compares george seferis original texts with their creative rendition in the writings of the irish poets. Love and the symbolic journey in seferis mythistorema. In the odyssey, he was the youngest of odysseuss companions on the journey home. A greek poet in an english landscape george thaniel the special relationship which george seferis 190071 developed in the last 40 or so years of his life with britain is obvious even to the casual observer of his life and his work. Truth and method of fusion of horizons, involving the merging of the. Giorgos or george seferis was the pen name of georgios seferiades.
Smart, fresh guides to great poetry by stanford, harvard, and berkeley ph. In 1963, george seferis born george seferiadis became the. Winner of the nobel prize for literature in 1963, george in this new edition of george seferis s poems, the acclaimed translations by edmund keeley and philip sherrard are revised and presented in a. Helen, a poem based on an ancient legend, belongs to seferis collection log book iii. He was also a career diplomat in the greek foreign service, culminating in his appointment as ambassador to the uk, a post which he held from 1957 to 1962. Infosheet custodian c account is a sub trading account which provides you with the ability to trade shares and unit trusts online. His collections of poetry include strophe turning point, 1931, e sterna the cistern, 1932, mythistorima 1935, and logbook i, logbook ii, and logbook iii 1940, 1945, 1955. It might be labouring the point to say they provide a framework for understanding the collection, but i cant remember the last time a books epigraph game was so on point. Complete poems george seferis, edmund keeley translator, philip sherrard translator 0856462144 a poets journal. He died sadly before the end of the military dictatorship in his country. One with the blade of the plough or the ships keel. Myth becomes a symbol of the richness of the hellenic tradition, rather than as a symbol of totality and consistency in. Iliad, the oresteia and a blend of the andromeda and prometheus myths. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.
Probably one of his most famous poems, was commonly known asby the seashore or denial in many english poetry translations. George seferis was one of the most important greek poets of the twentieth century and nobel laureate, by george kalogeris, poet and professor. By the seashore or denial by george seferis george seferis georgios seferiadis was awarded the nobel prize for literature in 1963 for his poetic work and is regarded as one of the major greek modern poets. Politically, cyprus was entangled in the dispute between the uk, greece and turkey over its international status. A greek poet in an english landscape george thaniel the special relationship which george seferis 190071 developed in the last 40 or so years of his life with britain is obvious even to. Sculpture and stones in the poetry of seferis and ritsos. An old man on the river bank by george seferis poetry. Both the spirit of greek folk literature and its dominant. Yet to row up the dark river against the current, to take the unknown road blindly, stubbornly, and to search for words rooted like the knotted olive tree let them laugh.
In the essay that follows, i discuss three poems by george seferis that interpret and evoke the homeric formula. Pdf sculpture and stones in the poetry of seferis and. George seferis by george seferis, 9780856462146, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. After its publication, zhang ziqing, editor of contemporary foreign literature, discussed publishing an anthology of postbeat poetry with professor wen. Giorgos seferis 1900 1971 was one of the most famous greek poets of the twentieth century, born near smyrna izmir. In my effort to present an english translation of the work of. His discovery procedures involve a constant poetic dialogue between topos and mythos, two interlocking concepts where each emerges in response to the other. His collections of poetry include strophe turning point. In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content seferis and england. I think it would be a mistake to consider seferis poetry as permeated by a deep. Doukas george seferis george seferis was the pen name of georgios seferiades. While he was in france, the turks invaded smyrna and seferis family, like many other greeks, had to flee.
Collected poems both supplements and revises the two earlier editions published in 1967 and 1969. Honorary instructor and fellow international arts academy, 2012. We use cookies to give you the best possible experience. Seferis seems to combine the pain of his nations suffering with. He was one of the most important greek poets of the 20th century, and a nobel laureate. I can relate with delight to many of the images in his poetry. In 1963, george seferis born george seferiadis became the first greek poet to receive a nobel prize for literature. The title is a colloquial word for novel that combines the ideas of myth and history.
His collections of poetry include strophe turning point, 1931, e sterna the cistern, 1932, mythistorima 1935, and logbook i, logbook ii, and logbook iii 1940, 1945. Seferis in his early poems is surely one of those who have had to write bad poetry in order to write good. Prominent modernist greek poets such as seferis and embiricos acknow. An asterisk after the title of a poem indicates that there is a note at the end of the book, the note referring either to the poem as a whole or to some special passage in it.
Shortlisted for translation, george seferiscollected poems 1st international poetry prize for translation, george seferiscollected poems, 20. Edmund keeley and philip sherrard, london, jonathan cape, 1969. Seferis changed the title in the 1959 edition of his poems. University of birmingham between tradition and appropriation. The second section offers a close analysis of their c. In 1967, george seferis decided the time had finally come to publi.
The book will appeal to readers of poetry as well as those interested in the interactions between ireland and greece, two countries at the extreme points. Seferiss three secret poems george kalogeris is not, of course, the first translator to produce an english version of the last, and perhaps the most difficult, of seferiss books of poems. What matters is the sea and how its master, the sun, is treating it beating its morning metal until all the sparks fly, smelting it into dimples and dazzles then nightly leaving it solvent, soldered, sullen, steel. Poems by george seferis translated by rex warner boston. Phenomenal woman, still i rise, the road not taken, if you forget me, dreams. The revision covers all the poems published in princetons earlier bilingual edition, george seferis. Complete poems new by george seferis, edmund keeley, philip sherrard, edmund keeley, philip sherrard, edmund keeley, philip sherrard isbn. What lies behind his writing is a blend of biblical myths and of legends. S, collected poems bilingual greekenglish edition, trans.
351 1219 971 1263 6 1339 1449 165 1105 98 1444 458 112 1080 875 829 984 428 421 1156 533 881 1457 1485 129 1214 1157 1056 858 533 1238 1495 152 589