Nobel Prize in Literature
1 appearances
-
Edition 72 (1979) Winner
Odysseas Elytis
オディッセアス・エリティス
Odysseas Elytis
Aliases:
オディッセアス・アレプデリス / Odysseas Alepoudelis
Pen Names:
Elytis (pen name)（Used as a pen name by Odysseas Alepoudelis）
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1911-11-02 （Heraklion, Republic of Crete）
- Died
- 1996-03-18 （Athens, Greece） age 84
- Nationality
- Greece
- Languages
- Greek
- Religion
- Eastern Orthodox (Greek Orthodox)
- Residence History
- Heraklion (birthplace) → Athens (moved in childhood, long-term residence) → Piraeus (family business relocated) → Paris (resident 1948–1952, 1969–1972) → Lesbos (family origins)
Career
- Occupations
- Poet, Essayist, Translator, Radio programme director
- Active Years
- 1935-1996
- Affiliations
- Greek National Radio Foundation (ERT) – Programme Director (1945–46, 1953–54), Member of the Administrative Council of the Greek National Theatre, AICA-Hellas (International Association of Art Critics, Greece)
- Memberships
- AICA-Hellas (International Association of Art Critics, Greece), Greek National Radio related bodies
- Influenced By
- C. P. Cavafy, George Seferis, Andreas Embirikos, Ancient Greek literature and Byzantine culture
- Influenced
- Yiannis Ritsos, Nikos Gatsos, Generation of Greek poets of the mid–late 20th century
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Athens | Faculty of Law (attended) | Law | — | 1928–(中途退学) | Greece |
University of Athens
Faculty of Law (attended)
/ Law
Period:
1928–(中途退学)
Country:
Greece
Entered Law School but did not complete final exams; no degree obtained
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Nobel Prize in Literature | To Axion Esti (It Is Worthy) | — | Nobel Foundation | 受賞 |
| 1960 | First State Poetry Prize | To Axion Esti | — | Hellenic State | 受賞 |
| 1965 | Order of the Phoenix | — | — | Hellenic Republic | 受章 |
| 1975 | Doctor Honoris Causa (Faculty of Philosophy) | — | — | Thessaloniki University (Aristotle University) | 授与 |
| 1975 | Honorary Citizenship of Mytilene | — | — | Municipality of Mytilene | 授与 |
Nobel Prize in Literature
1979
Work:
To Axion Esti (It Is Worthy)
Organization:
Nobel Foundation
Result:
受賞
First State Poetry Prize
1960
Work:
To Axion Esti
Organization:
Hellenic State
Result:
受賞
Order of the Phoenix
1965
Organization:
Hellenic Republic
Result:
受章
Doctor Honoris Causa (Faculty of Philosophy)
1975
Organization:
Thessaloniki University (Aristotle University)
Result:
授与
Honorary Citizenship of Mytilene
1975
Organization:
Municipality of Mytilene
Result:
授与
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
To Axion Esti (It Is Worthy)
1959 Epic/Oratorio poetryA landmark poetic work combining Greek tradition and modern sensibility, centered on themes of light and redemption; set to music by Mikis Theodorakis and became a national cultural emblem.
lightredemptionHellenismtradition vs. modernity
Adaptations
- [Oratorio (musical)] Axion Esti (music by Mikis Theodorakis) (1964)
Translations
- Translated into multiple languages (e.g. E. Keeley & G. Savidis English translation)
Sun The First
1943 Poetry collectionA wartime poetry collection emphasizing symbolic motifs of the sun and light; an important early work.
sunlightaffirmation of being
Translations
- Translated into several languages
Six Plus One Remorses For The Sky
1960 Poetry collectionA short collection treating personal and philosophical remorse and love.
remorseloveethics
The Monogram
1972 Poetry collectionAn important mid-period collection rich in linguistic play and symbolic imagery.
symbolismmemoryimagery
Bibliography
- Orientations (Προσανατολισμοί) — 1939
- Sun The First — 1943
- To Axion Esti — 1959
- Six Plus One Remorses For The Sky — 1960
- The Light Tree And The Fourteenth Beauty — 1972
- The Monogram — 1972
- Signalbook — 1977
- Maria Nefeli — 1978
- Diary of an Invisible April — 1984
- The Elegies of Oxopetra — 1991
- West of Sadness — 1995
Adaptations
- Axion Esti (Oratorio: music by Mikis Theodorakis)
Translations by Author
- Translations of Sappho into modern Greek (compiled and edited)
Translations of Works
- To Axion Esti — English translation by E. Keeley & G. Savidis (and others)
- The Oxopetra Elegies — English translation by David Connolly
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Fusion of modernism and romanticismSymbolic, lyrical style with musical rhythm
- Recurring Motifs
- light (sun)sea/islands (Greece)mythic imagerymemory and nostalgia
Health
-
Tuberculosis (1927)1927（罹患・療養）Convalescence stimulated his reading of poetry and solidified his decision to become a poet.
-
Typhus abdominalis (1941)1941（戦時中）Serious illness during WWII; near death experience but recovered and continued writing.
-
Heart failure (cause of death)1996Died of heart failure in 1996.
Legacy
One of the leading Greek poets of the second half of the 20th century. 'To Axion Esti' became a national emblem and bridged Greek culture with modern poetry. His work received international translations and he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Academic Societies
- AICA-Hellas
Archives
- The American School of Classical Studies (holds manuscripts and initial translations of Sappho fragments)
In Popular Culture
- Axion Esti, via Theodorakis's musical setting, became widely sung in Greece at events of protest, resistance and commemoration.
Quotes
-
"Greek — the language they gave me; poor the house on Homer's shores."
Source: From 'To Axion Esti' (1959)
Trivia
- Born Odysseas Alepoudelis; Elytis was his pen name.
- He self-exiled to Paris during the Greek junta (1969–1972).
- He was buried wearing a silver wedding band engraved 'Marianina'.
- He had interests in numerology and Vedic astrology.
- He expressed a wish for cremation, contrary to Greek Orthodox practice.