Ελλάδα μου (My Greece) by Dr. Gerasimos Tzivras is not merely a poetry collection—it is a literary pilgrimage, a heartfelt encomium that traverses millennia of Greek identity, from the ancient glories of the Acropolis to the philosophical depth of the Byzantine soul and the fierce cry of revolution. It is a hymn composed not only with ink but with the lifeblood of memory, reverence, and linguistic craftsmanship.
Structured as a poetic and historical odyssey, the book marries cultural commentary, philological reflection, and personal devotion. Through it, the reader is invited not to merely read but to inhabit Greece in all her dimensions: mythic, linguistic, spiritual, and political.
A Symphony of Poetic Voices
The author’s voice is expansive, at times tender, at times indignant, but always anchored in filotimo—the uniquely Greek sense of honour, dignity, and gratitude. His poems echo with the cadences of Seferis and Elytis, while drawing upon Homeric gravity and Orthodox liturgy. Verses such as Καλημέρα Ελλάδα and Στη Μάνα Ελλάδα offer not only lyrical beauty but philosophical insight, reminding us of the paradox of a nation both wounded and immortal.
In “Η Ποίηση,” Tzivras lays bare his ars poetica: poetry is not ornamentation, but transformation; not escape, but a return to moral and metaphysical clarity. The poet’s spiritual and intellectual inheritance is laid out through dialogues with Goethe, Cavafy, Elytis, and Ritsos—revealing a genealogy of literary conscience.
Language as Homeland
One of the most distinguished elements of the work is its deep homage to the Greek language—not merely as a medium of communication, but as a repository of civilization. In multiple poetic treatises on etymology and linguistic nuance, Dr. Tzivras illuminates the philosophical richness and structural elegance of Hellenic speech. The Greek word is not arbitrary, he reminds us—it is meaning incarnate, form and essence entwined.
With pedagogic precision and poetic flair, he explains how words like ωραίος, ελευθερία, and άρχων carry entire worldviews within their syllables. These reflections become a philological paean—a gentle admonition to preserve, respect, and honour the sanctity of the Greek tongue in an age of semantic erosion.
Historical Consciousness and Moral Reckoning
Divided into thematic movements—Ancient Greece, Byzantium, and The Greek Revolution—the book functions as a poetic chronicle of national becoming. In each section, Dr. Tzivras crafts poems that are didactic without being dogmatic, nationalist without being jingoistic. The figure of Alexander, the Parthenon, the Byzantine psalms, and the cry of “Ελευθερία ή Θάνατος” are evoked with reverence but also with a moral urgency.
Η Γυναίκα στην Αρχαία Ελλάδα and Η Γυναίκα στην Επανάσταση του 1821 offer gendered perspectives that broaden the book’s scope, honouring female agency in both public struggle and private devotion.
Particularly poignant is his treatment of religious tension during the Byzantine iconoclasm. The poem Εικονομάχοι – Εικονολάτρες reflects not only theological debate but the tragedy of misdirected zeal, relevant to any age where belief eclipses compassion.
Form and Devotion: The Music of the Sacred
The inclusion of spiritual works such as Ψαλμός Ν΄ and Ύμνος της Αγάπης reveals Dr. Tzivras’s mystical orientation. These poems, echoing the Psalms and the Pauline epistles, are deeply devotional. They do not separate the sacred from the civic; rather, they propose that true patriotism is born of humility and repentance.
Throughout the work, the poetic form is traditional yet unbound: free verse, rhymed quatrains, and liturgical cadences co-exist, reflecting a poetic consciousness rooted in classical symmetry but open to modern resonance.
Conclusion: A Literary Act of Remembrance
Ελλάδα μου is a monumental work—not only for its poetic merit but for its cultural function. It is an act of remembrance, resistance, and restoration. Dr. Gerasimos Tzivras does not merely write about Greece—he writes from within her essence, as a physician of the soul and chronicler of her undying voice.
This is a book that should be read slowly, aloud, and repeatedly. It is a mirror held to the Hellenic world—past, present, and ever-becoming. And in it, the poet reminds us: Greece is not merely a nation. She is a sacred inheritance.
