30th Greek Festival of Sydney To Honor Poet Odysseas Elytis

Nobel prize-winning poet will be honored in a presentation by Dr. Anthony Dracopoulos, titled “Odysseas Elytis: The Language of Poetry and the Sanctity of Light,” in the framework of the 30th Greek Festival of Sydney.

Odysseas Elytis’ 40 year poetry career will be examined with how Elytis constructs his poetic edifice and explores the pivotal characteristics of his poetic vision.

Elytis’ poetry has looked at a broad spectrum of subject matter and stylistic touch with an emphasis on the expression of that which is rarefied and passionate. He borrowed certain elements from Ancient Greece and Byzantium but devoted himself exclusively to today’s Hellenism, of which he attempted to reconstruct a modernist mythology for the institutions. His main endeavor was to rid people’s conscience from unjustifiable remorse and to complement natural elements through ethical powers, to achieve the highest possible transparency in expression and finally, to succeed in approaching the mystery of light, the metaphysics of the sun of which he was a “worshiper,” idolater by his own definition.

The Greek Festival of Sydney website describes the lecture as follows:“What remains constant during Elytis’ long poetic career is the poet’s persistent attempt to contrast his poetic vision to the rationalist perception of reality. Poetry is propounded by Elytis as a concept and life praxis: an antidote for the individual against the threat of death – not biological but spiritual death from the daily barrage of the mundane. The aim of this lecture is to examine how Elytis constructs his poetic edifice and to explore the pivotal characteristics of his poetic vision.”

The lecture will take place at the Greek Orthodox Community Club, 206-210 Lakemba Street, Lakemba on Wednesday, May 9. Entry is free.