About
Konstantinos P. Cavafy was born in Alexandria, Egypt, to Greek parents. After his father's death, he lived in England from 1872 to 1877, where he gained a lasting command of English. He worked as a journalist and then as a clerk at the Egyptian Ministry of Public Works for thirty years. He never published a book during his lifetime, but circulated about two hundred poems privately in pamphlets and broadsheets. His posthumous collection 'Poiēmata' appeared in 1935. He is considered the most distinguished Greek poet of the 20th century, known for poems like 'Waiting for the Barbarians' and 'Ithaca'.
* 1863-04-28 — † 1933-04-28
Major works
- Poiēmata (1935)poetry collection
- Waiting for the Barbarians (1904)poem
- Ithaca (1911)poem
Key milestones
- 1863Born in Alexandria, Egypt.
- 1922Retires from the Egyptian Ministry of Public Works.
- 1933Dies in Alexandria on his 70th birthday.
Themes
Hellenistic historySensual and erotic experiencePhilosophical fatalismExile and nostalgiaMemory and time
Sources: Constantine P. Cavafy | Britannica · C. P. Cavafy | Poetry Foundation · C. P. Cavafy | Onassis Foundation