A tribute to the oeuvre of Andreas Embirikos, as seen through the eyes of contemporary Greek poets
One hundred and twenty years after the birth of Andreas Embirikos (1901–1975), seventeen contemporary Greek poets share their reflections on a selection of his poems. Together, their effort serves to remind us of this important poet and his work, foregrounds the poet's humanism and profound and faithful love of freedom, and proposes a new perspective for reading and interpreting his poems.
Poetry is the development of a shining bicycle. Within it we all grow. Roads are white. Flowers talk. From their petals often emerge diminutive maids. This excursion has no end.
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Take my word. Give me your hand.
[Two poems from the series Altamira's Tentacle (1936–37), translated by Nikos Stabakis ]
This evening’s event is part of a series organized by Words (can) do it that revisits the Modern Greek canon of poetry — previous events have been devoted to the work of Solomos, Kalvos, Cavafy (the poems not among the 154 that were “authorized”), Papatsonis, Karyotakis and his contemporaries, Polydouri, Axioti, Aravantinou and Hatzilazarou, Elytis and his poetic peers, Engonopoulos, Karelli, and Vakalo, as well as four volumes from the period of the German occupation by Gatsos, Engonopoulos, Papatsonis, and Sikelianos.
The event will be available online starting Wednesday, December 15th, 2021 at 19:30, on the Hellenic American Union's YouTube channel and Facebook page, as well as on the YouTube channel of Words (can) do it.