ENGLISH - C. P. Cavafy Ithaca (Analysis) - Notes on Modern Greek Literature by Konstantinos Mantis

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Konstantinos Cavafy "Ithaca"

When you go to Ithaca,

wish the road was long,

full of adventures, full of knowledge.

The Laistrigonas and the Cyclops,

do not be afraid of the angry Poseidon,

you will never find such on your way,

if your thinking is high, if fine

emotion touches your mind and body.

The Laistrigonas and the Cyclops,

you will not meet the wild Poseidon,

if you do not carry them in your soul,

if your soul does not set them in front of you.

Wish the road was long.

Many summer mornings to be

with what pleasure, with what joy

you will enter a port of first aid ∙

to stop trading Phoenician,

and good deeds to get,

mustard and coral, amber and ebony,

and hedonistic herbs of all kinds,

as much as you can plenty of hedonistic herbs ∙

in many Egyptian cities to go,

to learn and learn from the educated.

Always keep Ithaca in mind.

Getting there is your destination.

But do not rush the trip at all.

Better happy birthday to last ∙

and old man to rest on the island,

rich with what you won on the road,

not expecting wealth to give you Ithaca.

Ithaca gave you the nice trip.

Without it, you would not be on the road.

He has nothing more to give you.

And if you find her poor, Ithaca did not laugh at you.

So wise that you became, with so much experience,

Ithaca will already understand what they mean.

Ithaca

Instructive poem, written in the second person to make the poet's sense of urging to the reader more intense. With the use of the second person the poem gains in immediacy and each reader feels that the poem is addressed to him.

When you go to Ithaca,

wish the road was long,

full of adventures, full of knowledge.

Verses 1-3: Although the poem refers to Ithaca, it is not a poem of return, a poem of fasting, as was the journey of Odysseus. It's a journey of going. The traveler of the poem starts to Ithaca, does not return to Ithaca.

We hope that the journey will last a long time and will be full of adventures and knowledge. Unlike Odysseus who wished his own journey, his return journey to be short, the reader's journey to Ithaca would have to take a long time to offer him many alternations of luck -adventures- and many experiences.

The Laistrigonas and the Cyclops,

do not be afraid of the angry Poseidon,

you will never find such on your way,

if your thinking is high, if fine

emotion touches your mind and body.

Verses 4-8: On the journey to Ithaca there will be no obstacles like the ones Odysseus encountered on his own journey. The trip to Ithaca will not have insurmountable difficulties, if the traveler keeps his thinking at a high level, if he does not deal with small things and insignificant issues. If the traveler has in mind his goal and insists on achieving it, he will not find great difficulties along the way. He must, however, during the journey offer to his mind, as well as to his body, high quality emotions and not engage in meaningless pleasures. If the traveler takes care to meet his spiritual needs with worthwhile pursuits, he will be able to keep his thinking clear and strong and will be able to continue his journey without having to worry about any difficulties that may arise. If the traveler does not take care of his spiritual cultivation, the Cyclops will not be needed to end his journey, any insignificant obstacle will be enough to get him out of his way.

The Laistrigonas and the Cyclops,

you will not meet the wild Poseidon,

if you do not carry them in your soul,

if your soul does not set them in front of you.

Verses 9-12: The difficulties that Odysseus encountered were very great and it took a lot of effort on his part to overcome them. But for the traveler of the poem, there is no risk of such significant problems. Only if the traveler is afraid and thinks negatively may difficulties arise in his journey, only if he magnifies his problems will he find it difficult to continue his journey. If the traveler is not afraid and does not have the tendency to dramatize the small problems of his life, he will be able to continue his journey unhindered. The people themselves are the ones who set up obstacles in their way, because they are afraid to dare, because they are afraid to claim their dreams.

Wish the road was long.

Verse 13: Once again the poet urges us to wish our journey a long time. The poet repeats his exhortation because he considers it very important not to rush to complete our journey. This journey is essentially synonymous with our lives and that is why we should wish it to last a long time.

Many good ones

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