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In the Name of Luminosity and Transparency
ELYTIS, Odysseus: „In the Name of Luminosity and Transparency“, Athen 2016
The Greek poet Odysseus Elytis is a major exponent of romantic modernism in Greece. In 1979 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.
In this small book his speech at the hand over of the nobel prize in Sweden is printed. For Elytis the poetry represents in our society a more analog and emotional world. „poetry is the only place where the power of numbers proves to be nothing.“ (Page 31) He sees our language as a unsimple communication, which can create problems. „But it happens, at times, that it is also an instrument of „magic“.“ (Page 32) A worldwide common language would make a better world. With translation 70 to 80 percent of content get lost. He excuse himselfs, that he writes in Greek language, which is on one hand one of the oldest languages – used the last 2500 years -, but some of his ideas get lost during translation. Words can not change the world „It is not enough to put our dreams into verse. It is too little. It is not enough to politicize our speecvh. It is too much.“ (Page 36/37)
Beside the speech of Elytis this book contains an introduction to the poet Elytis by Dimitris Daskalopoulos and a detailled CV.
The Greek poet Odysseus Elytis is a major exponent of romantic modernism in Greece. In 1979 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.
In this small book his speech at the hand over of the nobel prize in Sweden is printed. For Elytis the poetry represents in our society a more analog and emotional world. „poetry is the only place where the power of numbers proves to be nothing.“ (Page 31) He sees our language as a unsimple communication, which can create problems. „But it happens, at times, that it is also an instrument of „magic“.“ (Page 32) A worldwide common language would make a better world. With translation 70 to 80 percent of content get lost. He excuse himselfs, that he writes in Greek language, which is on one hand one of the oldest languages – used the last 2500 years -, but some of his ideas get lost during translation. Words can not change the world „It is not enough to put our dreams into verse. It is too little. It is not enough to politicize our speecvh. It is too much.“ (Page 36/37)
Beside the speech of Elytis this book contains an introduction to the poet Elytis by Dimitris Daskalopoulos and a detailled CV.
- GenresPoetry
64 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2016
63 people want to read
About the author
Odysseas Elytis
102 books280 followersGreek poet Odysseas Alepoudellis Elytis received the Nobel Prize for literature.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odyssea...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odyssea...
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 8, 2023
Collected here are the two speeches Elytis gave on his acceptance of the 1979 Nobel Prize for Literature. Here Elytis indicates Europe is in moral chaos with as many coexisting values as languages and offers the "common language" of poetry and art as a counter measure against this. What connects us...sense and intuition...is more powerful than what divides us.
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May 16, 2025"To hold the Sun in one's hands without being burned, to transmit it like a torch to those following, is a painful act but, I believe, a blessed one. We have need of it. One day the dogmas that hold men in chains will be dissolved before a consciousness so inundated with light that it will be one with the Sun, and it will arrive on those ideal shores of human dignity and liberty."
May 27, 2017
When considering how divided our modern day Europe is, Odysseus' speech is still powerful and relevant and I found this very beautiful. The speeches in this book a moving tribute to how vital poetry is and the longevity of Classical Greece,
July 29, 2025
I quite enjoyed his shorter speech "A Thirst for Miracles" that was included in this.
February 18, 2017
ELYTIS, Odysseus: „In the Name of Luminosity and Transparency“, Athen 2016
The Greek poet Odysseus Elytis is a major exponent of romantic modernism in Greece. In 1979 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.
In this small book his speech at the hand over of the nobel prize in Sweden is printed. For Elytis the poetry represents in our society a more analog and emotional world. „poetry is the only place where the power of numbers proves to be nothing.“ (Page 31) He sees our language as a unsimple communication, which can create problems. „But it happens, at times, that it is also an instrument of „magic“.“ (Page 32) A worldwide common language would make a better world. With translation 70 to 80 percent of content get lost. He excuse himselfs, that he writes in Greek language, which is on one hand one of the oldest languages – used the last 2500 years -, but some of his ideas get lost during translation. Words can not change the world „It is not enough to put our dreams into verse. It is too little. It is not enough to politicize our speecvh. It is too much.“ (Page 36/37)
Beside the speech of Elytis this book contains an introduction to the poet Elytis by Dimitris Daskalopoulos and a detailled CV.
The Greek poet Odysseus Elytis is a major exponent of romantic modernism in Greece. In 1979 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.
In this small book his speech at the hand over of the nobel prize in Sweden is printed. For Elytis the poetry represents in our society a more analog and emotional world. „poetry is the only place where the power of numbers proves to be nothing.“ (Page 31) He sees our language as a unsimple communication, which can create problems. „But it happens, at times, that it is also an instrument of „magic“.“ (Page 32) A worldwide common language would make a better world. With translation 70 to 80 percent of content get lost. He excuse himselfs, that he writes in Greek language, which is on one hand one of the oldest languages – used the last 2500 years -, but some of his ideas get lost during translation. Words can not change the world „It is not enough to put our dreams into verse. It is too little. It is not enough to politicize our speecvh. It is too much.“ (Page 36/37)
Beside the speech of Elytis this book contains an introduction to the poet Elytis by Dimitris Daskalopoulos and a detailled CV.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews