Personal Integrity in C.P. Cavafy's Poetry

November 26, 2023

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November 26, 2023

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From my most unnoticed actions,
my most veiled writing --
from these alone will I be understood.

- C.P. Cavafy -

Personal Integrity in C.P. Cavafy's Poetry

"The current world situation, with war raging in the Middle East and Ukraine, presents a particular challenge to those people who wish to take a unified perspective one which goes beyond polarities and tribalism in search of justice and humanity. It is hard to know how to respond. At such a time, the gentle but insistent voice of Constantine Cavafy, the modern Greek poet, carries a welcome reminder that however extreme the external circumstances, there is always the path of keeping faith with the values and principles we know to be true. Although much of his poetry is based overtly upon the events and myths of the ancient world, editor and translator Andrew Watson, who has recently worked on a comprehensive new book about him for the Onassis Archive in Athens, explains that Cavafy's underlying message is an eternal one, based upon a deep understanding of the human condition." Andrew Watson pays homage to Greece's most famous modern poet, whose message of quiet fidelity to one's own values still has great resonance today. { read more }