2nd Floor's Story
Constantine P. Cavafy

He was born in Alexandria (Egypt) in 1863 and died in Alexandria in
1933. He is a Greek poet and is considered to be one of the most
distinguished modern poets.
Most of his life he lived in Alexandria but also in London and Liverpool
for some years after his father’s death. His poems have been translated
in English, German, French and other languages.
He had a deep knowledge of history especially ancient Hellenic era.
Some of his themes are uncertainty about the future, sensual pleasures,
psychology, homosexuality and nostalgia. He himself has named his
poems as historic, philosophic and erotic.
His work includes 154 poems and 75 unpublished ones. He was awarded
with the Phoenix prize in 1926 and was honored by the Greek State for
his contribution to Greek letters. His poetry is also taught in Greek
schools and universities.
His house in Alexandria is nowadays a museum dedicated to him and his
work.
There is a film about his life made by Giannis Smaragdis, the film
director.

“Keep Ithaca always in your mind.

When you get there, you reach what you are destined for.
At the end you may realize that this journey has no more riches to give
you,
but Ithaca gave you a marvelous trip and made you wiser.”
– K. Kavafis

These lines belong to the best-known poem of Kavafis. The poem is
inspired by the Homeric return journey (nostos) of Odysseus to his home
island Ithaca. The theme of the poem is the destination which produces
the journey of life.
Another poem of his titled “Thermopylae” reminds us of the battle of
the Thermopylae.
“Honor to those who in their life they chose to guard Thermopylae.
They never betray what is right, consistent and just in all they do,
but showing pity also, and compassion,
generous when they are rich and even when poor,
still generous in small ways, helping as much as they can.
Always speaking the truth,
yet without hating those who lie.”

Another important poem is the one titled “Waiting for the Barbarians”
where the barbarians never arrive and the poem ends like this:
“What is to become of us without the barbarians?
Those people were a solution of a sort”