A comparison between A. Sikelianos and K.G. Karyotakis

Disclaimer

The article below was originally written as an undergraduate assignment for the Greek Open University in 2006, during a period when the author’s academic skills were still developing. Although the quality of this article does not match that of later examples of the same author’s work, it is written in a thorough manner and contains useful information for students and other readers with non-specialised knowledge; therefore, it has been proudly included on this website.

The reader needs to be warned that the original assignment, on which this article was based, was written in Greek and was intended to be read by specialised academics. Despite the author’s best intentions to present his essay in the clearest way possible, some points and arguments might still be lost in translation. For this reason, the author recommends that readers consult the web for additional information on any unfamiliar words or specialised vocabulary.

The author admits that the bibliography for this article is limited, as required for an undergraduate assignment of this level. The author did not include any additional bibliography during the translation of his work into English due to time and access limitations. It must also be noted that the original bibliography for this article was studied from translated copies in Greek; therefore, the page numbers suggested in the citations below match the page numbers of the translated copies and not the original volumes.

Introduction

This article compares two Greek poems by A. Sikelianos and K.G. Karyotakis. Sacred Way (Iera Odos = Ιερά Οδός), written by Angelos Sikelianos in 1935, and Preveza, named after the town in Western Greece, written by Kostas Karyotakis in 1928, the same year he committed suicide, are examined here for their differing approaches. The article focuses on the poets’ psychological backgrounds, their styles, and how they use and interpret the external stimuli they draw from daily life, namely images and scenes.

Sacred Way by A. Sikelianos

The poem Sacred Way by Angelos Sikelianos belongs to his mature creations, written in 1935 as part of his series Lyrics B’ (Politis 2003, 242). Its mature phase is characterised by his recent failure to revive his ‘Delphic Idea’, which led to a thematic shift in his compositions toward the meta-physical dimensions of life (Vogiantzoglou 2000, 179-80).

Sacred Way is written in a typical lyric tone found in almost every composition by Sikelianos, one that transcends positivity and harmony. Sikelianos employs a pompous style and a complex syntax, which evoke a majestic effect in the reader (Vogiantzoglou 2000, 179-80). The composition begins with a symbolic, pompous simile in which the sun penetrates the poet’s heart as the waves penetrate a sinking ship (verses 1-6). From there, the road towards one’s internal journey, which is a personal psychological quest, is described in verses 7-13 as the Sacred Way leading from Athens to Eleusis, the ancient place of initiation in the human mysteries. The symbolism of Sikelianos is built on historical references to classical antiquity, which are projected onto the modern world.

The poet participates in this experience as an eyewitness and describes images that fill the reader with a sense of mysterious euphoria: the river runs; the carriages pass by; nature is beautiful and quiet (verses 14-22). This tranquil picture is suddenly interrupted by an incident described in verses 28-96: a gipsy appears in this peaceful scenery, dragging two chained-up bears. In this context, the gipsy by Sikelianos becomes a counter-reference to the Twelve Commandments of the Gipsy by Kostis Palamas (Ο Δωδεκάλογος του Γύφτου), a poem written in 1907 (Vogiantzoglou 2000, 183). The concepts of slavery, violence and pain are described by Sikelianos in verses 76-77 as “a huge martyr-symbol for the entire world, current and past” (“μαρτυρικό τεράστιο σύμβολο όλου του κόσμου, τωρινού και περασμένου”). Demetra, an ancient goddess, Alcmene, the mythological mother of Hercules, and Holly Mary, a Christian figure, are all united in the face of the mother bear in verses 48-80. The presence of religious and mythological characters is typical of the Second Poetic Period of Angelos Sikelianos, spanning 1917-1934, which is characterised by a form of religious concurrence (Vogiantzoglou 2000, 185-6).

The poet’s positive mood is temporarily interrupted in verses 96-102, when “darkness penetrates one’s soul as waves penetrate the sinking ship”. This feeling, although dark and pessimistic, is cancelled in verse 107, where the poet hears a whisper of hope for the future and concludes: “it will come”! This specific prediction symbolises retribution and final victory. It relates to an esoteric resurrection that, despite the difficulties of life, comes through overcoming all obstacles in the human struggle to improve tomorrow. Accordingly, this positive approach by Sikelianos reflects the influence of Friedrich Nietzsche’s theories on the Übermensch (Superman), as presented in his Also Sprach Zarathustra in 1883 (Vogiantzoglou 2000, 182).

Sikelianos is inspired by a combination of stimuli from contemporary life and fictional images from the ancient Greek past. This material is arranged symbolically to reference the ancient Greek initiation rituals of the Eleusinian Mysteries. More specifically, Sikelianos grasps a scene of animal torture, where the gipsy inflicts pain and humiliation on the chained bear. In turn, this scene symbolises the tortures and humiliations of the Greek nation, which have been suffered as part of a sacred initiation journey towards national revival. This journey takes place along the Sacred Way, the ancient road which connected Athens and Eleusis during Classical antiquity. Although the process of revival is sad and unpleasant, it demands a superhuman effort from its participants, which carries the messages of hope and final success.

Preveza by K.G. Karyotakis

Preveza, written by Kostas Karyotakis in his last days, is characterised by a negative evaluation of life in favour of death. The poem’s title suggests that it was written sometime between April 1928, when Karyotakis was transferred to Preveza, and his final suicide on the 21st July of the same year (Garantoudis 2000b, 209).

The composition is written in a dark and heavily pessimistic language, where the word ‘death’ repeats seven times within the first three stanzas. The poet’s source of inspiration is his own depression, stemming from his boring, toxic everyday life in the small town of Preveza in 1928. In verses 1-4, Karyotakis uses ‘dark’ symbols to convey his pessimistic, death-seeking mood, such as the crows and the black walls. At the same time, Karyotakis’ poetic irony is achieved through the use of a naive rhyme between the words onions and roof tiles (“κεραμίδια – κρεμμύδια”), which adds a silly tone to his seriously pessimistic introduction. Another thematic contrast is noted in verses 5-9, where the poet stresses the paradoxical futility of his everyday life. There, the “dirty, insignificant streets” of Preveza appear to carry “bright, glorious names”. The poet’s personal statement of non-existence comes with a direct question in verse 18: “Do I exist? You say, and then, you don’t exist!” (”υπάρχω;” λες, κι ύστερα: “δεν υπάρχεις!”).

Karyotakis’ mental state and psychological fluctuations are influenced by the behaviour of Preveza's inhabitants. The attitude of these people produces the same depressive effect on him as the surrounding scenery. Some of the events described in the poem are also noted in a letter by Kostas Karyotakis, written to his cousin Th.D. Karyotakis on 22nd June 1928 (Garantoudis 2000, 241-2). This letter contains information that is repeated in the poem’s verses 9-20, suggesting that Preveza was inspired by real events rather than the product of Karyotakis’ poetic imagination.

The information relates to insignificant events from his daily life in Preveza, which are meant to stress the poet’s boredom: the police commander wraps half a portion of food in a paper wrapping and weighs it (verses 9-10); the local school teacher is reading a newspaper (verses 11-12); the town’s municipal band will play on Sunday (verses 13-14); a deposit of thirty drachmas in the poet’s bank account (verses 15-16) stresses his financial insecurity; and finally, the unrest in the local community caused by the visit of the Head of the Prefecture (verses 19-20). Such images derive from Karyotakis’ personal and professional experience as a public servant. He even borrows words from the vocabulary of government administration, such as “Base, Garrison, Sixty-Men Command of Preveza” in verse 13 (“ Βάσις, Φρουρά, Εξηκονταρχία Πρεβέζης”.

Verses 9-20 contribute to the poem’s ironic approach by contrasting with the highly symbolic verses 1-8 of the first two stanzas. More specifically, verses 9-20 deal with the poet’s everyday reality in a raw, direct, realistic and sarcastic manner. The climax of Karyotakis’ depressing mood is noted in the last stanza, where he suggests his impending suicide:

“If at least one of those people
died from disgust…
Silent, sad, with humble manners,
We would all have had fun during the funeral” (verses 21-24) .

(“Αν τουλάχιστον, μέσα στους ανθρώπους
αυτούς, ένας πέθαινε από αηδία…
Σιωπηλοί, θλιμμένοι, με σεμνούς τρόπους,
Θα διασκεδάζαμε όλοι στην κηδεία”).

Conclusions

A comparison between the two poems by Angelos Sikelianos and Kostas Karyotakis reveals major differences in their approaches and broader psychological moods. Sikelianos is an optimist and writes in a pompous style, employing complex poetic devices. He wishes to project a positive outcome; therefore, he employs the philosophical ideas behind Nietzsche’s Superman, who overcomes the obstacles of life and is successful in all his endeavours. Sikelianos recognises the problems but focuses on the positive outcomes of life; he wishes to share hope and reminds readers that persistence leads to an esoteric resurrection.

By contrast with Sikelianos, Kostas Karyotakis uses a ‘dark’, death-embracing language. He is a pessimist and stresses the futility of every aspect of human life, suggesting that the quest for one’s final retribution is only possible through death. His means of expression and his poetic tone reflect the attitude of a coursed poet, who lives exiled on society’s margins and collides with the existing social norms of his time. His model of the poète maudit coincides with the disappointed public servant, who has been transferred to a small town in punishment for his marginal behaviour.

Although Sikelianos and Karyotakis represent different poetic approaches to life, they share a common preference for symbolism in interpreting external stimuli. Sacred Way by Sikelianos refers to modern reality, but its inspiration comes from Classical antiquity. The poet employs his external images symbolically to show their connection to the ancient Greek mysteries. He stresses the value of personal initiation in a higher, more advanced form of conscious living, expressed through an ancient ritual. By contrast, Karyotakis draws on familiar images from his daily routine in Preveza to convey the pessimistic, futile nature of his everyday life. There is brief use of symbolism in the first two stanzas, which are followed by a direct and realistic reference to his daily reality. This reference functions in an ironic manner and ‘lands’ his poetic symbolism on the futility of a boring daily routine. For Karyotakis, this form of urban life in a small town is pointless; therefore, Preveza functions as an announcement of his impending suicide.

Bibliography

Beaton, R., 1996, An Introduction to Modern Greek Literature: Poetry and Prose, 1821-1992 , translated by Sgourou, E. and Spanaki, M., Athens: Nepheli.
Garantoudis, E., 2000, ‘The poetry by K.G. Karyotakis’, in Garantoudis, E. (ed.) Letters II: Modern Greek Philology (19th and 20th century). Modern Greek Literature (19th and 20th centuries). Study Manual, Patra: Greek Open University, 207-24.
Karyotakis, K.G., 1928, Preveza, available at: Garantoudis, E. (ed.) Letters II: Modern Greek Philology (19th and 20th century). Anthology of Modern Greek Literature, Patra: Greek Open University, 241.
Politis, L., 2003, The History of Modern Greek Literature, 13th edition, Athens: Morphotiko Idryma Ethnikis Trapezis.
Sikelianos, A., 1935, Sacred Way (Ιερά Οδός), available at: Garantoudis, E. (ed.) Letters II: Modern Greek Philology (19th and 20th century). Anthology of Modern Greek Literature, Patra: Greek Open University, 209-11.
Vogiantzoglou, A., 2000, ‘The poetry by Angelos Sikelianos’, in Garantoudis, E. (ed.) Letters II: Modern Greek Philology (19th and 20th century). Modern Greek Literature (19th and 20th centuries). Study Manual, Patra: Greek Open University, 179-87.

Useful links

Καρυωτάκης, Πρέβεζα:
https://www.greek-language.gr/digitalResources/literature/tools/concordance/browse.html?cnd_id=6&text_id=1099
Σικελιανός, Ιερά Οδός:
http://users.uoa.gr/~nektar/arts/tributes/aggelos_sikelianos/iera_odos.htm
Παλαμάς, Ο Δωδεκάλογος του Γύφτου:
http://ebooks.edu.gr/ebooks/v/html/8547/2700/Keimena-Neoellinikis-Logotechnias_A-Lykeiou_html-empl/indexG1_2.html