A comparison between K.P. Kavafis and K.G. Karyotakis

Disclaimer

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

The reader should note that the original assignment, on which this article was based, was written in Greek and intended for specialised academics. Despite the author’s best intentions to present his essay as clearly as possible, some points and arguments may still be lost in translation. Readers are advised to consult the web for additional information on any unfamiliar words or specialised vocabulary.

The author notes that the bibliography for this article is limited, as required for an undergraduate assignment of this level. No additional bibliography was added during the translation into English due to time and access limitations. The original bibliography was studied from Greek translations; therefore, the page numbers in the citations below match the translations, not the original volumes.

Introduction

This article examines two Greek poems by K.P. Kavafis and K.G. Karyotakis. It compares their themes and style, focusing on how each poet uses images drawn from their source of inspiration. More specifically, Kavafis is inspired by the Trojan War and Homer’s accounts, while Karyotakis is inspired by Miguel de Cervantes’s novel Don Quixote. The study asks what the poems share and how they differ from their original sources, and it considers the broader context of their production.

The Trojans (Troes) by K.P. Kavafis

The poem Trojans by Konstantinos Kavafis was written in 1905, and therefore belongs to the poet’s ‘transitional phase’. During this phase, Kavafis shifts away from French symbolism, which characterises his early creations, and moves towards realism, which characterises his ‘mature phase’. In this transition, his work is defined by a distinct personal style, in which the poet actively participates in his compositions by citing his own questions and concerns (Kostiou 2000, 158). Trojans belong to the historic circle of Kavafis’ poetry and deal with failure, which, despite any ephemeral success, appears at the crucial moment to cancel the volition of history’s main protagonists (Kostiou 2000, 160).

The main source of inspiration for Kavafis is Homer’s Iliad. The poem’s main theme is the Trojans’ struggle to survive the siege of Troy, which Kavafis symbolises. Kavafis begins his composition with a simile and a question, intended for himself. The simile implies the futility of his own endeavours in life: “are our endeavours, the disastrous - are our endeavours like those of the Trojans”? (“Είν’ η προσπάθειές μας, των συφοριασμένων - είν’ η προσπάθειές μας σαν των Τρώων” (veres 1-2). He identifies with the drama of the defenders of Troy and parallels it with his own drama of defending his individuality.

Kavafis presents himself as a poet living in isolation and in exile from the rest of society, full of negative feelings and guilt over his inability to fit in. Such elements recall the poète maudit, the “cursed poet” of French symbolism. Kavafis probably feels isolated from the rest of society for two reasons. Firstly, because of his status as an expatriate Greek in early 20th-century Alexandria, and secondly, due to his admitted homosexuality, for which he expresses guilt in his compositions (Beaton 1996, 131).

The poem’s central theme is internal struggle, which Kavafis handles with subtle irony to underscore an unfortunate finale. The poem is divided into six stanzas, each marking a gradual movement from hope to certain failure. The introductory verses 1-5 carry a hopeful message for the Trojans, who achieve small military victories and thereby gain courage and hope. In the following verses 6-8, Achilles appears as an immediate threat to the defensive moat, and the Trojans begin to doubt their victory. In verses 9-12, the heroes of Troy, including Kavafis himself, stand outside the city walls, determined to fight to the death to change their destiny. The words used by the poet produce a tragic illusion characteristic of his work; here, the passive verb “we think” contrasts with the active verb “we will fight” (Kostiou 2000, 165).

The time of the ‘great judgement’ comes in verses 13-17, where courage is lost, the morale of the Trojans depletes, and the warriors scatter. Kavafis produces another ironic statement through the use of contrasting meanings. In verses 16-17, the poet, who is one of the scattered Trojan warriors, concludes that “we run away asking to save ourselves from running away” (“τρέχουμε ζητώντας να γλιτώσουμε από τη φυγή”). Such an act is definitely irrational and refers to a state of panic. The fall of the Trojans is finally confirmed in verses 18-21, which describe the sorrow and mourning of Troy’s royal couple, Priam and Hecuba. Here, there is an indirect, ironic statement about Hector, the son of the royal couple. Despite his heroic efforts to save Troy, he is finally killed by Achilles. This contrast between the death of a mortal and the victory of an immortal implies the certainty of the former protagonist's failure. Furthermore, failure is projected as a predefined concept and the result of divine volition; therefore, a condition that cannot be avoided.

The composition is characteristic of Kavafis’s poetic style. It is inspired by historical events or other ancient Greek mythological traditions, which are processed in an ironic manner. The story contains symbolism that also follows the poet’s ironic intentions, which refer to familiar situations in his everyday reality (Kostiou 2000, 161-2). Structurally, the poem is divided into short stanzas, each containing verses of similar thematic content. The stanzas produce a climax not only in relation to the outcome of the story, but also in relation to the poet’s own psychological fluctuations.

Don Quixote(s) by K.G. Karyotakis

The poem Don Quixote was first published in the newspaper Noumas on 11th July 1920 and was intended to be Karyotakis’ response to the poem Don Quixote by Kostas Ouranis (Garantoudis 2000a, 233-4). It is characterised by Karyotakis’ notorious sense of pessimism, his depressive feelings and a distinct tone of boredom noted in his work, conditions that led to his final suicide in Preveza, on 21st July 1928 (Beaton 1996, 173).

The poem’s source of inspiration is the homonymous novel by the Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes. Karyotakis uses the story to stress failure after the quest for an imaginary idea, which gradually becomes a living illusion, or, to be exact, self-deception (Garantoudis 2000b, 212-3). This illusion symbolises society’s tricks and deceptions, which puzzle the poet about their ultimate outcome and always lead to pessimism.

The poem’s central theme is Don Quixote’s quest, which symbolises an internal battle. The poem is divided into four stanzas, where there is a gradual climax: it starts with determination to conquer ‘the Idea’, and it ends in disappointment after the loss of a futile battle. In verses 1-4, the Don Quixotes are described as society’s shameless, short-sighted visionaries and elitist ideologists. Karyotakis mocks them by saying that such people have no sensitivity (“they do not spare a tear”) to react humanely against society’s vulgar critique (“ένα δεν έχουν δάκρυ για να δεχτούν ανθρώπινα κάθε βρισιά χυδαία”).

Karyotakis distances himself from the rest of society and adopts the role of the exiled poète maudit; he approaches the Don Quixote(s) form afar and treats them with abhorrence and ridicule. Karyotakis’ view as an external observer is shaped by French symbolism in his work (Beaton 1996, 171) and by his personal experience as a newly arrived public servant in the small town of Preveza. There, Karyotakis leads an isolated, boring life, while his professional career is challenged by clashes with his colleagues and supervisors (Garantoudis 2000b, 209).

In verses 5-8, the poet continues mocking the struggles of the so-called elitist visionaries, who stumble over common sense and the reactions of normal, everyday people. Even their non-elite supporters, such as Don Quixote’s hostler, Sancho, stress their failures in life; however, the visionaries do not listen to anybody. In verses 9-12, Karyotakis becomes more sarcastic than before and distinguishes his point of view from Cervantes's. For him, visionary knights such as Don Quixote do not live in their own dreams; instead, they live a humiliated, everyday reality full of troubles, just like everybody else’s. As their knighthood is lost, they walk (on foot) their everyday path as scared, bitter and helpless men, ready to retreat when they are to confront their Chimaeras, which symbolise the monstrous difficulties of living.

At the end of the poem, in verses 13-16, Karyotakis mocks his Don Quixotes again by revealing their vanity. He notes that they point to the red sun and believe that they have cut him through, seeing red blood coming out instead of sunlight. Of course, the sun is eternal and immortal compared to the insane and cowardly Don Quixotes; therefore, the nature of the sun contrasts with that of the visionaries and their futile quests.

The poem follows the general characteristics noted in Karyotakis’ work and represents the thoughts and reflections of the so-called 1920s Generation in literature and the arts. Karyotakis is a true pessimist, and he is inspired by his own depression. As a follower of French symbolism, he adopts the view of the coursed poet; he desperately blames society for the loss of its ideals and sees that poetry is unable to prevent this loss (Beaton 1996, 171). In relation to its social critique, the work of Karyotakis (and of other representatives of the 1920s Generation) reflects the desperation at the impasse of the ‘Great Idea’ (Μεγάλη Ιδέα), a political venture that failed during the Asia Minor Catastrophe of 1922. For Karyotakis, in particular, his feeling of desperation is further enhanced by his marginalised and financially insecure career as a public servant, which brings him into confrontation with the existing public and social institutions of his time (Garantoudis 2000b, 210-11).

Conclusions

A comparison between the two poems by Konstantinos Kavafis and Kostas Karyotakis shows that their themes and sources of inspiration derive from older materials. More specifically, Kavafis is inspired by Homer’s Iliad, and although Karyotakis is inspired by Cervantes’ Don Quixote, his work is a response to the homonymous poem by Kostas Ouranis. Both compositions draw on popular myths and focus on the idea of internal battle. Furthermore, both poems adopt a pessimistic stance, in which, in the end, every form of battle proves futile. Kavafis refers to his own drama and the futility of his life choices, personifying them as the defeated Trojans. By contrast, Karyotakis’ futile and desperate life is not a matter of personal choice but a problem of public dysfunction; it relates to the futile efforts of a short-sighted, dogmatic society on the verge of failure.

The influence of French symbolism is evident in both poets. Their primary material is used to symbolise everyday reality, and both adopt the distanced view of the ‘coursed poet’. The motives for adopting this view differ between the two. Kavafis consciously accepts his isolation due to his foreign descent and his homosexuality, while Karyotakis is forced into isolation due to his depression and due to his obligatory transfer to the small town of Preveza, where he constantly clashes with his supervisors and colleagues.

Finally, Kavafis and Karyotakis differ in the level of irony they employ in their works. The irony in Kavafis is discreet and refined, marked by verbal, expressive, and thematic contrasts. The irony by Karyotakis, however, is based on raw verbal attacks, direct ridicule and a strong intention to reduce the character of his poetic focus.

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. (ed.), 2000a Letters II: Modern Greek Philology (19th and 20th century). Anthology of Modern Greek Literature, Patra: Greek Open University
Garantoudis, E., 2000b, ‘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., 1920, Don Quixote(s) (Δον Κιχώτες) , available at: Garantoudis, E. (ed.), 2000a, Lertters II: Modern Greek Philology (19th and 20th century). Anthology of Modern Greek Literature, Patra: Greek Open University, 233.
Kavafis, K.P., 1905, Trojans (Τρώες), available at: http://www.snhell.gr/kavafis2.asp?id=481&kathgoria=1 , accessed on 12/3/2006.
Kostiou, K., 2000, ‘The poetry by K.P. Kavafis’, 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, 155-78.
Politis, L., 2003, The History of Modern Greek Literature, 13th edition, Athens: Morphotiko Idryma Ethnikis Trapezis.

Useful links

Καβάφης, Τρώες:
https://www.greek-language.gr/digitalResources/ancient_greek/anthology/mythology/browse.html?text_id=180
Καρυωτάκης, Δον Κιχώτες:
https://www.greek-language.gr/digitalResources/literature/tools/concordance/browse.html?text_id=986&hi=199105&cnd_id=6
Ουράνης, Δον Κιχώτης:
http://users.uoa.gr/~nektar/arts/poetry/kwstas_oyranhs_poems.htm#ΔΟΝ_ΚΙΧΩΤΗΣ