Poetry and Place – Ιθάκη/Ithaka

R.C. Bigelow, kommosconservacy.org, 30-09-2014

What sounds, what music, what prose and what inspired poetry can supplement the inspiration derived from a place especially an ancient pre-historic place such as Kommos Crete? One outstanding example is the poem “Ithaka” written by Constantine P. Cavafy in 1911. William Logan in his 15 June 2014 New York Times opinion concluded “Language gainfully employed has its place. Poetry will never have the audience of “Game of Thrones” — that is what television can do. Poetry is what language alone can do.“ Cavafy’s poem “Ithaka” meditates on the importance of a journey such as that Odysseus takes to his home island. It stresses the value of experience gained on the journey rather than the attainment of a goal.

“Ithaka” has itself inspired other interpretations. The poem has been powerfully translated into an English language video by the award winning Greek composer Vangelis (Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou) with narration by the famous Scottish actor, Sean Connary, 4 who played Agamemnon, the Minotaur slayer in the Monty Python film Time Bandits. The American-Greek actress and film producer (My Big, Fat, Greek Wedding), Rita Wilson, 5 was moved by the poem to create her own tribute to it at the 24 All-Star Readers on the Words That Rock Their Worlds.

Read more: http://www.kommosconservancy.org