In the Ruins of an Ancient Temple (Masterplots II: Poetry, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Yannis Ritsos
- First Published: 1979
- Type of Work: Lyric
- Genres: Poetry, Lyric poetry
- Subjects: Mythology or myths, Sheep, Greek or Roman times, Fishing or fishermen, Greece or Greek people, Peasantry or peasants, Museums, Shepherds, Temples, Statues, Ruins
The Poem
“In the Ruins of an Ancient Temple” is a free-verse poem in two stanzas of nine and six lines. The title shows a concern shared by much modern Greek poetry with its ancient inheritance, although here that concern is ironic and unromanticized.
The first stanza presents a series of short, declarative sentences, almost one per line, describing the life of common people in a modern Greek rural setting. These straightforward statements set the tone of the down-to-earth life depicted. Each subject has its own verb, just as each worker has his or her own...
[The entire page is 1514 words long]
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