Michalis Katsaros

Michalis Katsaros (Greek: Μιχάλης Κατσαρός) was a Greek poet. He was born in 1919 in Kiparissia (Greek: Κυπαρισσία) and died in 1998 in Athens. His main occupation was to write poems and painting. He was a poet with intense politicization.

The War

During The occupation of Greece 1941-1944 (Greek: Η Κατοχή, I Katochi, meaning "The Occupation") he joined the resistance.^[1] Michalis Katsaros after the war passed through a painful silence, as all the poetries in his generation, in the way he spent himself in successive collections.^[2]

Early life

He was married with the painter Koula Maragopoulou. In 1945 he moved to Athens and lived for many years in difficult conditions, exerting various livelihood occupations like cashier at a merchant, journalist illegal press and the radio officer. He collaborated with the magazines "Foundation" (1947), "Poetic Art", "The New Greek", "Athenian Letters" and "Target" (1950) and in 1975 published the magazine "System", where he published mainly own work.^[3]

Works

Poetry

• My shape ("Τὸ σχῆμα μου")
• My covenant ("Ἡ διαθήκη μου")
• Resist ("Ἀντισταθεῖτε")
• What you see ("Αὐτοὺς ποὺ βλέπεις")
• The sea ("Ἡ Θαλασσινή")
• We will wait ("Θὰ σᾶς περιμένω")
• Against Sadducees ("Κατὰ Σαδδουκαίων" 1953 )
• Less eggs ("Μεῖον ὠά")
• Do not leave ("Μὴ φύγεις")
• Servant ("Ὁ Δοῦλος")
• Lakis ("Ὁ Λάκης")
• Father with harmonica ("Ὁ πατέρας μὲ τὴ φυσαρμόνικα")
• Home ("Σπίτι")
• In stones ("Στὰ λιθάρια")
• On your Earth ("Στὴ γῆ σου")
• Your image ("Τὴν εἰκόνα σου")
• The lamb ("Τὸ ἀρνί")
• Plateau ("Οροπέδιο" 1956)
• Mesologgi ("Μεσολογγι" 1949)
• Writing ("Σύγγραμμα" 1975)
• Modern brochure ("Σύγχρονες Μπροσούρες" 1977)
• Garments ("Εδύματα" 1977)

Music

His work was turned into music by the famous Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis , A.Kounadis and G. Markopoulos^[4] ISBN 978-960-06-2317-8 3rd edition ISBN 978-960-06-2356-7

The composer Hans Werner Henze set two of Katsaros' poems for his song-cycle Voices (1973).

Books

Michalis Katsaros was the inspiration for one of her nephew imaginary character on her book "A Letter From Greece".^[5][6]

References

1. "Επαναστατικη Ποιηση". Lugano. 2010-07-18. Retrieved 2014-01-04.
2. "Greek Poetry in the Late Twentieth Century lpublisher=Pantelis Boukalas". Retrieved 2014-01-05.
3. "greekbooks.gr". Retrieved 2014-01-04.
4. ΙΤΥΕ| Κείμενα Νεοελληνικής Λογοτεχνίας Γ' τεύχος
5. Poetry in the Late Twentieth Century "GRANTA lpublisher=Natalie Bakopoulou" Check |url= value (help). Retrieved 2014-01-05.
6. "MODERN GREEK UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN lpublisher= unknown". Retrieved 2014-01-05.