Kavafy, Full Length

Zusatztext

Uniquely this translation reproduces all Kavafys original poems - including the 92 unpublished and disowned poems which shed light on his development - while consistently rendering rhyme for rhyme, wit for wit, to convey his brilliant, idiosyncratic use of language. A major innovation, the sorting of poems by theme and mood, balances the poets inner life with his external world. A deliberately artificial division into sections, rather than chronological or random arrangement, allows the reader to appreciate and identify with individual areas of Kavafys concern; particularly in the history poems, their background unfamiliar to todays common reader. Each section is preceded by a short orienting survey; a general preface sketches broader aspects of the poets life, character and technique, and considers such themes as his place in postcolonial writing, his linguistic fieldwork, and the vexed question of irony in his poems. For the reader wanting to follow up Kavafys personal circumstances, his historical references, and his (possible) engagement with the political realities of his own time, there are three detailed Timelines.

Autorenportrait

Dr. Richard Witt, Cambridge graduate and Hellenist, moved from the United Kingdom to Athens in 1989. He has worked as university lecturer and professional translator, heading the English Language Services for the Athens 2004 Olympic Committee. He has published researches on different subjects in the international journals.

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