Cover of Complete Poems of Seferis

Giorgos Seferis (Γιώργος Σεφέρης) (February 19, 1900 – September 20, 1971) was one of the most important Greek poets of the 20th century, and a Nobel laureate. He also pursued a career in the Greek foreign service, culminating in his appointment as Ambassador to the UK, a post which he held from 1957 to 1962. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (409x618, 28 KB) Cover of paperback edition of Seferiss complete poems 21st edition, 2004 Unknown photographer This image is of a book cover, and the copyright for it is most likely owned either by the artist who created the cover... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (409x618, 28 KB) Cover of paperback edition of Seferiss complete poems 21st edition, 2004 Unknown photographer This image is of a book cover, and the copyright for it is most likely owned either by the artist who created the cover... February 19 is the 50th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1900 (MCM) was an exceptional common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, but a leap year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. ... September 20 is the 263rd day of the year (264th in leap years). ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1971 calendar). ... Nobel Prize medal. ... An ambassador, rarely embassador, is a diplomatic official accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization, to serve as the official representative of his or her own country. ... 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar). ...

'Seferis' was a pen name, a variation on his family name, Seferiadis. A pen name or nom de plume is a pseudonym adopted by an author. ...

Biography

The house where Seferis was born and raised in Urla (source&permission: www.yorgoseferis.com)

Seferis was born in Urla near Smyrna in Asia Minor (now İzmir, Turkey). His father, Stelios Seferiadis, was a lawyer, and later a professor at the University of Athens, as well as a poet and translator in his own right. He was also a staunch Venizelist and a supporter of the demotic Greek language over the formal, official language (katharevousa). Both of these attitudes influenced his son. In 1914 the family moved to Athens, where Seferis completed his secondary school education. He continued his studies in Paris from 1918 to 1925, studying law at the Sorbonne. While he was there, in September 1922, Smyrna was recaptured by the Turks after a two year Greek occupation and its Greek population, including Seferis' family, fled. Seferis would not visit Smyrna again until 1950; the sense of being an exile from his childhood home would inform much of Seferis' poetry, showing itself particularly in his interest in the story of Odysseus. Seferis was also greatly influenced by Kavafis, T. S. Eliot and Ezra Pound. Image File history File linksMetadata UrlaYorgoSeferisHouse. ... Image File history File linksMetadata UrlaYorgoSeferisHouse. ... Urla is a district of Ä°zmir Province of Turkey. ... Urla is a district of Ä°zmir Province of Turkey. ... For other meanings of Smyrna, see Smyrna (disambiguation). ... Anatolia (Greek: ανατολη anatole, rising of the sun or East; compare Orient and Levant, by popular etymology Turkish Anadolu to ana mother and dolu filled), also called by the Latin name of Asia Minor, is a region of Southwest Asia which corresponds today to... Shows the Location of the Province Ä°zmir Izmir from space, June 1996 Izmir (Turkish spelling Ä°zmir, contraction of its former name Smyrna), the second-largest port (after Ä°stanbul) and the third most populous city (2,409,000 in 2000) of Turkey, is located on the Aegean Sea near the Gulf... The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (Greek: Εθνικόν και Καποδιστριακόν Πανεπιστήμιον Αθηνών), usually referred to simply as the University of Athens, is the oldest university in the region of the eastern Mediterranean and has been in continuous operation since its establishment in 1837. ... Venizelism was one of the major political movements in Greece from the 1900s until the mid 1970s. ... Main article: Greek language Modern Greek (Νέα Ελληνικά or Νεοελληνική, lit. ... Greek (, IPA — Hellenic) has a documented history of 3,500 years, the longest of any single language within the Indo-European family. ... Katharevousa (Greek Καθαρεύουσα, IPA: ) is a form of the Greek language, created during the early 19th century by Adamantios Korais (1748-1833). ... 1914 (MCMXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... Athens (Greek: Αθήνα, Athína IPA: ) is the capital and largest city of Greece and the birthplace of democracy. ... Part of the Paris skyline with from left to right: Montparnasse Tower, Eiffel Tower, and in the background, towers of neighboring La Défense. ... 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... 1925 (MCMXXV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Sorbonne, Paris, in a 17th century engraving The historic University of Paris (French: Université de Paris) first appeared in the second half of the 12th century, but was in 1970 reorganized as 13 autonomous universities (University of Paris I–XIII). ... 1922 (MCMXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Odysseus and the Sirens. ... Constantine P. Cavafy, also known as Konstantin or Konstantinos Petrou Kavafis, or Kavaphes (Greek Κωνσταντίνος Π. Καβάφης) (April 29, 1863 – April 29, 1933) was a major Greek poet who worked as a journalist and civil servant. ... Thomas Stearns Eliot, OM (September 26, 1888 – January 4, 1965) was an American (naturalised British) poet, dramatist and literary critic, whose works, such as The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, The Waste Land, The Hollow Men, and Four Quartets, are considered defining achievements of twentieth century Modernist poetry. ... Ezra Pound in 1913. ...

He returned to Athens in 1925 and was admitted to the Royal Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the following year. This was the beginning of a long and successful diplomatic career, during which he held posts in England (1931-1934) and Albania (1936-1938 ). He married Maria Zannou ('Maro') on 10th April 1941 on the eve of the German invasion of Greece. During the Second World War, Seferis accompanied the Free Greek Government in exile to Crete, Egypt, South Africa, and Italy, and returned to liberated Athens in 1944. He continued to serve in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs end held diplomatic posts in Ankara, Turkey (1948-1950) and London (1951-1953). He was appointed minister to Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Iraq (1953-1956), and was Royal Greek Ambassador to the United Kingdom from 1957 to 1961, the last post before his retirement in Athens. Seferis received many honours and prizes, among them honorary doctoral degrees from the universities of Cambridge (1960), Oxford (1964), Salonika (1964), and Princeton (1965). Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... Crete (Greek: Κρήτη Kríti; Turkish: Girit) is the largest of the Greek islands and the fifth largest in the Mediterranean Sea. ... Ankara from the Atakule Tower, looking N-NE Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the countrys second largest city after Istanbul. ... London (pronounced ) is the capital city of England and the United Kingdom. ...

Cyprus

Seferis first visited Cyprus in 1952. He immediately fell in love with the island, partly because of its resemblance, in its landscape, the mixture of populations, and in its traditions, to his childhood summer home in Skala. His book of poems Imerologio Katastromatos III was inspired by the island, and mostly written there – bringing to an end a period of six or seven years in which Seferis had not produced any poetry. Its original title was Cyprus, where it was ordained for me…, a quotation from Euripides’ Helen, in which Helen’s brother Teucer states that Apollo has decreed that Cyprus shall be his home; it made clear the optimistic sense of homecoming Seferis felt on discovering the island. Seferis changed the title in the 1959 edition of his poems. A statue of Euripides Euripides (Greek: Ευριπίδης) (c. ... Helen (Greek: , HelénÄ“), often known as Helen of Troy and the face that launched a thousand ships and burnt the topless towers of Ilium, was reputed to be the most beautiful mortal woman in Greek mythology. ... In Greek mythology Teucer, also Teucrus or Teucris from Greek Τεύκρος, was the son of King Telamon of Salamis and his second wife Hesione, daughter of King Laomedon of Troy. ... Lycian Apollo, early Imperial Roman copy of a fourth century Greek original (Louvre Museum) In Greek and Roman mythology, Apollo (Ancient Greek , Apóllōn; or Ἀπέλλων, Apellōn), the ideal of the kouros, was the archer-god of medicine and healing and also a bringer of death-dealing plague; as... 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Politically, Cyprus was entangled in the dispute between the UK, Greece and Turkey over its international status. 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 personal effort and emotion. This was one of the few areas in his life in which he allowed the personal and the political to mix. The Cyprus Dispute is the conflict between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots and also Republic of Cyprus and Turkey over Cyprus, an island nation in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. ...

The Nobel Prize

In 1963, Seferis was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature "for his eminent lyrical writing, inspired by a deep feeling for the Hellenic world of culture." [1] Seferis was the first Greek to receive the prize (and the only, until Odysseas Elytis became a Nobel laureate in 1979). His nationality, and the role he had played in the 20th century renaissance of Greek literature and culture, were probably a large contributing factor to the award decision. But in his acceptance speech, Seferis chose to emphasise his own humanist philosophy, concluding: "When on his way to Thebes Oedipus encountered the Sphinx, his answer to its riddle was: 'Man'. That simple word destroyed the monster. We have many monsters to destroy. Let us think of the answer of Oedipus." [2] While Seferis has sometimes been considered a nationalist poet, his 'Hellenism' had more to do with his identifying a unifying strand of humanism in the continuity of Greek culture and literature. Nobel Prize medal. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... This page refers to the year 1979. ...

Statement of 1969

In 1967 the repressive nationalist, right-wing Regime of the Colonels took power in Greece after a coup d'état. After two years marked by widespread censorship, political detentions and torture, Seferis took a stand against the regime. On 28 March 1969, he made a statement on the BBC World Service [3], with copies simultaneously distributed to every newspaper in Athens. In authoritative and absolute terms, he stated "This anomaly must end". 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Seferis did not live to see the end of the junta in 1974, the direct result of Turkey’s invasion of Cyprus, which had been prompted by the junta’s attempt to overthrow Cyprus’ Archbishop Makarios. 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... Makarios was the adopted name of Mikhalis Khristodoulou Mouskos (August 13, 1913 - August 3, 1977). ...

At his funeral, huge crowds followed his coffin through the streets of Athens, singing Mikis Theodorakis’ setting of Seferis’ poem 'Denial' (then banned); he had become a popular hero for his resistance to the regime. Mikis Theodorakis Mikis Theodorakis (Greek: Μίκης Θεοδωράκης) (b. ... Denial (Greek: Άρνηση) is a poem by Giorgos Seferis (1900-1971) published in his collection Turning Point in 1931. ...

Other

Blue plaque on Sloane Avenue, London

There are commemorative blue plaques on two of his London homes - 51 Upper Brook Street, and in Sloane Avenue. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1429x1297, 295 KB) Blue plaque to Giorgos Seferis (George Seferis) on his house on Sloane Avenue, London SW3, England. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1429x1297, 295 KB) Blue plaque to Giorgos Seferis (George Seferis) on his house on Sloane Avenue, London SW3, England. ... A blue plaque showing information about The Spanish Barn at Torre Abbey in Torquay. ... A blue plaque showing information about The Spanish Barn at Torre Abbey in Torquay. ...

In 1999, there was a dispute over the naming of a street in Ízmir Yorgos Seferis Sokagi (a Turkification of Giorgos Seferis), due to continuing ill-feeling around the Greco-Turkish War in the 1920s. 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... Turkification is a term used to describe a cultural change in which something or someone non-Turkish is made to become Turkish. ... The name Greco-Turkish War is given to two armed conflicts between Greece and Turkey or its predecessor the Ottoman Empire: The Greco-Turkish War of 1897 (also called the Thirty Days War) The Greco-Turkish War of 1919-1922 (also called the War in Asia Minor, and in Turkey... The 1920s was a decade sometimes referred to as the Jazz Age or the Roaring Twenties, usually applied to America. ...

In 2004, the band Sigmatropic released "16 Haiku & Other Stories," an album dedicated to and lyrically derived from Seferis' work. Vocalists included recording artists Laetitia Sadier, Alejandro Escovedo, Cat Power, and Martine Roberts. 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Laetitia Sadier (born May 6, 1968, sometimes known as Seaya Sadier) is the name of a French musician and writer most commonly known as the singer of experimental rock band Stereolab. ... Alejandro Escovedo got his start in first-wave punk rock group The Nuns, with Delphine Neid, Jennifer Miro, and Jeff Olener, in San Francisco, California. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Works

Poetry

• Strofi Στροφή (Strophe, 1931)
• Sterna Στέρνα (The Cistern, 1932)
• Mythistorima Μυθιστόρημα (Tale of Legends, 1935)
• Tetradio Gymnasmaton Τετράδιο Γυμνασμάτων (Exercise Book, 1940)
• Imerologio Katastromatos I Ημερολόγιο Καταστρώματος Ι (Deck Diary I, 1940)
• Imerologio Katastromatos II Ημερολόγιο Καταστρώματος ΙΙ (Deck Diary II, 1944)
• Kichli Κίχλη (The Thrush, 1947)
• Imerologio Katastromatos III Ημερολόγιο Καταστρώματος ΙΙΙ (Deck Diary III, 1955)
• Tria Kryfa Poiimata Τρία Κρυφά Ποιήματα (Three Hidden Poems, 1966)

1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link is to a full 1931 calendar). ... 1932 (MCMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link will take you to a full 1932 calendar). ... 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1940 calendar). ... 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1940 calendar). ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1944 calendar). ... 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1947 calendar). ... 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1966 calendar). ...

Prose

• Dokimes (Essays) 3 vols. (vols 1-2, 3rd ed. (ed. G.P. Savidis) 1974, vol 3 (ed. Dimitri Daskalopoulos) 1992)
• Antigrafes (Translations) (1965)
• Meres (Days – diaries) (7 vols., 1975-1990)

1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday. ... This article is about the year. ...

English translations

• Complete Poems trans. Edmund Keeley and Philip Sherrard. (1995) London: Anvil Press Poetry. ISBN
• A Poet's Journal: Days of 1945-1951 trans. Athan Anagnostopoulos. (1975) London: Harvard University Press. ISBN
• On the Greek Style trans. Rex Warner and Th.D. Frangopoulos. (1966) London: Bodley Head.

Biography

• Beaton, Roderick (2003). George Seferis: Waiting for the Angel - A Biography. New Haven: Yale University Press. ISBN 0-300-10135-X.
• Tsatsos, Ioanna, Demos Jean (trans.) (1982). My Brother George Seferis. Minneapolis, Minn.: North Central Publishing.

External links

• Text of his 1969 statement (in Greek)
• Listen to Seferis on the BBC (in Greek)
• Nobel Prize presentation speech
• Nobel Prize acceptance speech