Publisher's Synopsis
This volume is an introduction to the poetry and poetics of Constantine P. Cavafy. It traces Cavafy's development from the early phases of his creativity, when he was gradually discovering his poetic self, until he finally created his own authentic voice. Autobiographical elements in Cavafy's poems are introduced mainly as guides to explore one aspect of his world - how he gradually learned to control the transformation of experience into "work in progress". This text portrays Cavafy's quality of thought, his originality, the freshness of his imagery and his penetrating commentary on the human condition. It also provides details of the historical background of ancient Alexandria, which formed one of the key ways whereby Cavafy recreated the city for himself and used it to develop his unique poetic vision. Also included as an appendix is the text of "Ars Poetica".
