Nikiforos Vrettakos (January 1, 1912 – August 4, 1991) stands as a towering figure in modern Greek literature. A poet, novelist, translator, essayist, and academic, he is widely regarded as one of Greece’s greatest poets. His works are profoundly dialogic, rooted in his unwavering love for nature, life, and humanity.
While he pursued various professions, poetry remained his life’s essence. Reflecting on his dedication, he wrote: “In poetry, I gave my soul. And while I may not be certain that I am a poet, I know now that I am nothing else.” His optimistic tone and deep compassion for both people and the natural world permeated his work. Over his lifetime, he published numerous collections and earned prestigious national poetry awards. He was affectionately hailed as “The Saint of Greek Poetry” and received an Honorary Doctorate in Literature from the University of Athens. He was also nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature.
The military coup in Greece in April 1967 prompted Vrettakos to embark on a seven-year self-imposed exile. During this period, he resided at the Pestalozzi International Children’s Village in Switzerland and later lectured at the University of Palermo in Italy. His exile produced some of his most intimate and powerful works, including “The Rock and the Hawk,” “Journey to Sicily,” and his reflective testament, “The Seven Elegies.”
With the restoration of democracy in 1974, he returned to Greece and entered one of the most productive phases of his career. Vrettakos continued to write prolifically until his death on August 4, 1991, leaving behind a rich legacy of poetic and humanistic contributions.
Vrettakos crafted his poetic universe with sincerity, moral integrity, and resilience. His work intertwined the beauty of nature with the trials of the human condition, reflecting both the misery and dreams of ordinary people. His verses resonate with themes of love, protest, pain, and hope, often portraying Greece’s historical struggles while holding steadfast to visions of peace and social progress.
Nature was his sanctuary and muse. Vrettakos juxtaposed the order and harmony found in the natural world with the chaos and disorder of society. Yet, for him, this contrast did not signify conflict but a call for inspiration and redemption. Nature’s lessons on balance and perseverance informed his moral vision and artistic drive.
Vrettakos often described nature as a sacred text. In “Evening Confessions,” he writes that the slopes of Mount Taygetos were “the first poem I read as I opened my eyes.” Similarly, in “The Horizon and the Stone,” he likens the sky to a divine tablet, saying, “this God-engraved tablet / I’ve gradually learned to decipher.” His act of poetic creation was an act of submission to the earth’s majesty, as he beautifully articulates in “Seminar”: “teach me the light,” he pleads with the flowers.
In solitude, he found the space to “mend and make” the world through his poetry, as captured in “The Sledge,” where the burden of night must be navigated through a vast expanse of snow. His evocative imagery, such as the frozen eagle in “An Eagle,” symbolizes his quest for meaning and existential grounding:
Poised like an eagle,
I stand above the world
one claw in the snow,
the other in the clouds,
immovable, white.
My crested head a stone outcrop.
My eyes two blizzards.
Rooted in his faith in nature’s order, Vrettakos found the courage to confront societal injustice. His poetry was marked by quiet determination, steadfastness, and fearlessness, addressing themes of war, fascism, tyranny, and occupation with unrelenting honesty. Whether under the sun or in the shadow of oppression, his voice remained unwavering in its commitment to truth.
Vrettakos’s spiritual worldview transcended religious dogma, blending Christian and pagan influences into a profound appreciation for the sacredness of existence. The sun, a central symbol in his work, was neither a Christian nor a pagan entity but an embodiment of life itself. It represented vitality, creative energy, and eternal renewal. In poems such as “The Green Garden” and “Infusion,” the sun is a force that connects humanity to the divine essence of the universe.
At the core of Vrettakos’s poetic philosophy was the belief that humanity must restore its long-lost connection with nature and the cosmos. He saw this unity as essential to realizing our potential and fostering harmony in the world. His poetry calls for the rediscovery of humanity’s role within the greater rhythm of creation.
Nikiforos Vrettakos’s poetry is a testament to the power of simplicity, authenticity, and moral clarity. His verses, often infused with bucolic imagery and metaphors drawn from the natural world, serve as a beacon of hope and a call for renewal. His legacy is one of profound beauty and enduring relevance, offering inspiration to those who seek harmony, justice, and a deeper understanding of life’s sacredness.
Dr. Sofia Skleida
REFERENCES
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About the Author
Sofia Skleida was born in Athens. She studied Philology at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens where she obtained her BA, MA in Pedagogy, Ph.D in Comparative Pedagogy and a postdoctoral research certificate. She also obtained a certification in the Braille language. Today she works as a teacher in secondary education. She took part in conferences and published articles in the Greek and international scientific journals and in conference papers. She was awarded for her participation in poetry and literary contests in Greece and abroad. Her poems have been translated into Italian, English, Spanish, Albanian, Romanian and Bangla. She has published a total of twenty books. She is Vice-President of the Zakynthian Cultural Institute, Member of the jury for new members of the Association of Greek Writers, a regular member at the Panhellenic Union of Writers and at the Association of Greek Writers.
