George Seferis – His “portrait” from the Times of London

On September 20, 1971, one of the most important Greek poets, awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, George Seferis, passed away.

In May 1949, “TA NEA” published the tribute of the Times of London entitled “Greek and Philhellene”. In it, the historical British newspaper referred to Greek literature and its prominent representatives, among whom was and is George Seferis.

“TA NEA”, 17.5.1949, Historical Archive “TO VIMA” & “TA NEA”

The Times of 1949 writes:

“Mr. George Seferis, born in 1900, holds a position that, with the risk of oversimplifying things, can be characterized as analogous to that held by TS Eliot in England.

“The publication of his ‘Strophe’ in 1931 added a new influence and a new tone to the Greek verse.”

Moment sent by a hand
that I had so much loved
you reached me almost at dusk
like a black dove

The road shone before me
soft breath of sleep
at the end of a secret feast…
Moment grain of sand

that you alone kept
the tragic clepsydra whole
silent as though it had seen Hydra
in the heavenly orchard

The reception of this poem was characterized by a critique reminiscent of the critique that arose when he published, in 1922, the translation of Eliot’s “Wasteland”.

Critics complain about its vagueness. But Palamas described this first fruit of a new talent as a real turning point in Greek literature.

Since then, Seferis has increased his fame with other poetry collections and has been honored to be translated into both French and English.

His technique comes from the same French sources that Eliot used, and this is not the reason for their incredible similarity.

By temperament, however, Seferis is a cerebral person rather than a mystic, sensual and not a puritan.

His poems admirably convey the taste and touch of common things, the warmth of the sun, the aroma of flowers.

The atmosphere of his poetry is the atmosphere of the Greek landscape, with the warm circular tones of its light, with its islands that resemble primitive painting, with its statues and with its cypress trees. Mr. Seferis is a national poet only in the sense that he is completely Greek.