Presentation of a Greek Literary Work that resonates with epic themes and reflects ethics and principles of the Ancient Greek Mentality – Reflections on the impact of Ancient Greek Mentality on Literature on a worldwide basis
[The author’s name]
Abstract
This paper will present you with a literary work which has been chosen among others as a way to depict the influence which can exist on literary production of a civilization rich in ethics and principles, characterized by a long term historical presence and evolution. The work which has been chosen is a Greek poem written by a Greek poet, Constantinos Cavafy, which has been acknowledged within the borders of the literary community as a piece of literary work that depicts precisely enough the effect of the Greek civilization and its epic elements on a aworldwide basis. The poem is ‘Ithaca’ and its main thematic core and inspiration has its origins in the Ancient Greek Myth of Odyssey, the king of the Ancient Greek island of Ithaca, in the Ionian Sea. A brief summary of the poem will be presented in the essay along with its meaning and significance in nowadays world. The essay will prove that ‘Ithaca’ talks to the hearts of people of today although coming from a very old past.
Key words: Ithaca, life’s journey, Odyssey, endless search of life’s meaning
Presentation of a Greek Literary Work that resonates with epic themes and reflects ethics and principles of the Ancient Greek Mentality – Reflections on the impact of Ancient Greek Mentality on Literature on a worldwide basis
The poem ‘Ithaca’ by Constantine Cavafy written in Greek in 1910 and firstly published in its original language in 1911, is a dramatic monologue, written in five stanzas, characterized by its lyricism, rhyme in its original language version and symbolic meaning. The poet addresses his audience in second singular person, thus succeeding in making the poem easily accessible and individually adopted by his readers, talking immediately to their souls. The thematic core of the poem is the journey that every individual is to fulfill in his / her own life, having chosen or drawn his/her own path. Deriving from the Ancient Greek myth of Odyssey, in which Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, a Greek island in the Ionian Sea, spends ten whole years before he reaches his destination, which is his kingdom and birthplace, ‘Ithaca’ talks allegorically about the nature and significance of such a journey. Constantine Cavafy emphasizes on what the journey itself has to offer, despite the benefits that humans enjoy from the fulfillment of their goal, which is reaching their destination, the one they have chosen at the beginning of their route.
‘Ithaca’, being the main symbol of the poem, is treated differently on behalf of the poet, compared to the meaning and significance it holds in the above mentioned Greek myth. Odysseus sacrificed everything in the name of his destination, which was the only source of his strength, helping him to endure the tortures during those ten years of his adventures. But Cavafy’s ‘Ithaca’ is not to be seen as the ultimate and only goal in someone’s life. On the contrary, it is advisable, according to the poet, to be treated on behalf of individuals as the motivation they need in order to sail the Ocean of their lives and explore the most they can. Cavafy believes in the existence of a common personality trait shared by all humans. They are all travelers, they all keep inside them a hidden Odysseus, meaning that they all flirt with the idea of exploring the hidden paradises or hells of their lives. What differentiates people is the nature of their personal commitment to the goal of their exploration. Others may be courageous, others may hesitate or get tired, but, beyond any shadow of a doubt, the journey alone is of insignificant value, since it offers valuable knowledge about life itself and themselves. Each one has his own ‘Ithaca’, his own goal and each one treats its achievement differently.
A number of subsidiary symbols are used in order to indicate the meaning and nature of this journey. All mythological creatures, described as gigantic cannibals, along with the vengeful Ancient God of the Sea, were met by Odysseus during his adventures. Here, they are used to symbolize the difficulties entailed in the life’s journey. Being, according to the original myth, Odysseus’ enemies, fighting against his efforts, they symbolize the external conflicts that individuals are to be faced with, in their own personal route. These conflicts though need not to worry travelers devoted to their journey. The reason is simple. They are directly bonded to the internal fears and agonies someone may carry in his /her soul. No external conflict can affect people, unless they have firstly lost their self-confidence, their belief in their internal power to cope with any difficulties or problems encountered in case of appearance. It is this personal loss which generates fear of the unknown dangers which ‘you will never encounter / if you do not carry them within your soul / if your soul does not set them up before you’ (lines 10-12).
Arriving ‘Ithaca’ is ‘your ultimate goal’ (line 25) but we should always keep in mind that it is the journey itself that counts. ‘The riches’ (line 30) which ‘Ithaca’ will offer may not be what we first had in mind when we began our journey. There are lots of times in life when our expectations prove to have been treated on our behalf in such an exaggerating way, that we lost all the benefits we were provided with, while trying to meet them.
But even ‘if you find her poor, Ithaca has not deceived you. / Wise as you have become, with so much experience / you must already have understood what Ithacas mean.’ (lines 34-35-36). ‘Ithacas’ are the goals we set and the efforts we put in them being fulfilled. But their fulfillment is meaningless if they come without effort, courage and personal commitment. The invaluable nature of setting goals is double, lying in the motivating power that dreams and goals have by virtue and in the experiences and self-knowledge acquired during their accomplishment.
Dreaming, defining destinations, daring to conquer unknown or desired castles, give meaning to life. But the life’s journey if not experienced as an exploration towards our surrounding and inner world, it is just another typical, boring, of no special benefits, route. And life as the ultimate present we are given, ought not to be left unexplored.
‘Ithaca’ reflects the belief of Greek mentality regarding the criteria upon which goals and their achieving them are to be measured and evaluated. It reminds people that Ancient Greeks believed in the importance of searching for what one really wants and hopes for, always in modesty and in such a way that specific rules and order is to be kept. ‘Ithaca’ functions as a compass in the highly antagonistic, deprived from optimism and feelings nowadays’ society.
References
Cavafy, C.P., ‘Collected Poems’, Princeton University Press, Revised Edition, 1999, ‘Ithaca’
