Cavafy was born in 1863 in Alexandria, Egypt to Greek parents. After his father died, Cavafy and his family moved to Liverpool for a time due to financial problems. Cavafy later returned to Alexandria in 1877. He is now considered one of the finest modern Greek poets, and his poetry is taught in schools in Greece. Cavafy wrote historical poems inspired by antiquity, sensual poems about same-sex love, and philosophical poems about themes like closure and human dignity. His home in Alexandria has been converted into a museum honoring his legacy.

1. Cavafy’s Biography
Cavafy was born in 1863 in Alexandria, Egypt,
to Greek parents.
After his father died in 1870, Cavafy and his family
settled, for a while, in Liverpool, UK.
Cavafy moved back to Alexandria in 1877,
after the family faced financial problems
in the crash of 1876. His legacy lives on today,
not only in his works, which have been translated into many
languages, but in his home, which has been converted into a
Museum reflecting the atmosphere and surroundings of the
author's time. Since his death, Cavafy's reputation has grown.
He is now considered one of the finest modern Greek poets. His
poetry is now taught at schools in Greece.

2. Cavafy’s poem categories
 Historical poems
These poems are mainly inspired by the Hellenistic era with Alexandria at primary
focus. Other poems originate from Helleno-romaic antiquity and the Byzantine era.
Mythological references are also present. The periods chosen are mostly of decline
and decadence (e.g. Trojans); his heroes facing the final end.
 Sensual poems
The sensual poems are filled with the lyricism and emotion of same-sex love; inspired
by recollection and remembrance. The past and former actions, sometimes along
with the vision for the future underlie the muse of Cavafy in writing these poems.
 Philosophical/ Didactic poems
Also called instructive poems they are divided into poems with consultations to poets
and poems that deal with other situations such as closure (for example, "The walls"),
debt (for example, "Thermopylae"), and human dignity (for example, "The God
Abandons Antony").

3. Ithaka by Cavafy : As you set out for Ithaka
hope your road is a long one,
full of adventure, full of discovery.
Laistrygonians, Cyclops,
angry Poseidon-don't be afraid of them:
you'll never find things like that on your way
as long as you keep your thoughts raised high,
as long as a rare excitement
stirs your spirit and your body.
Laistrygonians, Cyclops,
wild Poseidon-you won't encounter them
unless you bring them along inside your soul,
unless your soul sets them up in front of you.
Hope your road is a long one.
May there be many summer mornings when,
with what pleasure, what joy,
you enter harbors you're seeing for the first time;
may you stop at Phoenician trading stations
to buy fine things,
mother of pearl and coral, amber and ebony,

4. sensual perfume of every kind-
as many snsual perfumes as you can;
and may you visit many Egyptian cities
to learn and go on learning from their scholars.
Keep Ithaka always in your mind.
Arriving there is what you're destined for.
But don't hurry the journey at all.
Better if it lasts for years,
so you're old by the time you reach the island,
wealthy with all you've gained on the way,
not expecting Ithaka to make you rich.
Ithaka gave you the marvellous journey.
Without her you wouldn't have set out.
She has nothing left to give you now.
And if you find her poor, Ithaka won't have
fooled you.
Wise as you will have become, so full of
experience,
you'll have understood by then what these
Ithakas mean

5. http://www.snhell.gr/anthology/writer.asp?id=60
(Cavafy’s poems)
http://users.hol.gr/~barbanis/cavafy/
(Cavafy’s poems- English and Greek)
http://lyricstranslate.com/el/oso-boris-oso-
mporeis-much-you-can.html (Oso boreis-
As much as you can)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=G3PrfLe9brY (Cavafy- The poet of the
City)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=O5TfZ0bqyUo (Cavafy House-
Alexandria)
Links/ Websites about Cavafy

6. Follow - up questions
Do you know where Ithaka is in Greece?
http://www.greeka.com/ionian/ithaca/ithaca-map.htm
In which category of Cavafy’s poems do you think Ithaca belongs to?
What do you think Ithaka stands for?
“…full of adventure, full of discovery.
Laistrygonians, Cyclops,
angry Poseidon-don't be afraid of them…”
What do you think Laistrygonians and Cyclops represented to
Cavafy?

7. Back-up activity
Choose a line of the poem that you find interesting and
you like in Cavafy’s Ithaca, comment on the meaning it
aims to convey and justify why it made you an strong
impression.