The Mystery around the Correct Interpretation of This Poem by Cavafy Remains Unsolved
By: Ioannis Dedes
Tags: Poetry, Philosophy, Life, Books, History

The Mystery around the Correct Interpretation of This Poem by Cavafy Remains Unsolved

The ‘best’ interpretation for the poem “Young Men of Sidon” is yet to be found

Constantine P. Cavafy

Constantine P. Cavafy has been one of the most influential poets of the modern world and regardless of his Egyptian Greek nationality, his poems were translated and distributed worldwide. The particular poem entitled Young Men of Sidon was written in 1920 and its story unfolds in Sidon, a rich city on the coast of Phoenicia. The categories of Cavafy’s poems were divided into three: historical, romantic and philosophical, with the specific poem being classified as historical. This poem shows us Cavafy’s perspective based on the change of values ​​throughout the course of history while the most interesting part of the analysis is the two different interpretations of two different readers.

In this particular poem, Cavafy wants to ‘send’ the message that the ideals and values ​​of an era may seem insignificant after some decades or centuries and a virtue that was extremely precious at one point of time may not be a treasure for people of the new generations. Cavafy tells the story of a group of young people in Sidon, around 400 AD, who lived lavishly, in a beautiful and luxurious place; they wanted to have fun and did something common for that time, they invited an actor to recite epigrams. The actor, after talking about poets who made history in the Romantic movement of this art, such as Meleagros, Krinagoras and Rianos, he focused on Aeschylus.

However, he did not talk about his work in the field of poetry but read his epitaph, emphasizing his bravery and projecting his identity as one of the fighters in the Battle of Marathon. In other words, the actor was more dedicated to present Aeschylus’ work in the battlefield rather than the work of his poetic writing and art. Thus, he ends up not entertaining the young people, one of whom is so frustrated and suddenly, he states aggressively that for someone like Aeschylus, there should be more focus in his poetic work and less in his promotion as a hero in the Battle of Marathon. In general, the young man believed that the most important contribution was his poetic ability and not his participation in a battle.

The main contradiction in this poem is the primary element from which Cavafy’s irony originates and the different ways in which one can perceive or understand the work. The rich life of young people that makes them ignorant of their history’s ideals in contrast to the actor, who considers a greater honor and glory the participation of Aeschylus in a battle with the magnitude of the one in Marathon, come in accordance to the language and the technique of Cavafy and provides the readers with various interpretations for the same work.

This contrast shows how the generation gap and the diversity of values ​​affect the judgment and citizens’ way of thinking in different eras. Aeschylus lived at a time when the Greeks were in conflict with the Persians and so the tragic poet could not help but fight for his homeland. At a time when the war for the protection of the homeland was an honour and glory, the Greeks were so united that they were willing to put their lives on the line for the greater good. A time when the Greeks who did not fight, humiliated themselves and the history of their ancestors, as well as being considered traitors and illegally living in the country. For these reasons, the actor chose to dedicate a bigger part of the program to Aeschylus’ participation in the Battle of Marathon and depict him more as a hero rather than to focus on his tragic poetry.

This way of life was something that the young people weren’t used to and they didn't have to adopt the same ideals as the fighters at the time of Aeschylus. One can easily understand from the set and the location they were found in that they lived a rich life, with abundant comforts; although they had a lavish life, they invited an actor who had a different mentality and way to entertain them. But then they get angry when he recites the epitaph and especially the point where he is praising the poet for participating in the Battle of Marathon. At this point one understands the difference between the two generations since young people seem to care more about having fun than learning for their ancestors and the ones that died for them to be free.

This contrast can give different meaning to the text for two different readers. In addition, Cavafy irony plays a decisive role in the two different interpretations of the work.

On the one hand, the narrator seems to be making fun of the young man and his way of thinking. The way in which Cavafy describes the place in which the young man lives in accordance with his luxurious life and need of entertainment, contribute to his indifference to important virtues. The intensity and the way in which he addresses the actor when he is not interested in the work he is reading shows the emphatic disrespect and audacity that the young man has, not only towards the actor but also towards Aeschylus. Cavafy mocks the young man for the way he despises the Battle in which Aeschylus fought and shows no empathy for the bravery of the man. In general, we could point out that with this presentation of the young man’s life, Cavafy mocks the new generation which is indifferent to the ideals of its ancestors and the defining events of Greek history.

On the other hand, the irony that Cavafy shows through the words of Aeschylus has a different interpretation for the purpose of the work. Cavafy, through the event, mocks the actor and Aeschylus for the need he has to show his bravery and not talk about his poetic work. The way Cavafy presents an actor who does not speak at all about the poetic work of such a poet but only cares to project his military experience, may also be criticized as a selfish personality trait, which is rightly stopped by the young man. The young man, who does not want to hear the actor talk about the Battle of Marathon but about the poetic work of the hero, expresses indignation and irony at the same time for one of the greatest tragic poets in history.

Cavafy through his irony and special techniques in poetry can often give different interpretations in many of his works. In this case, on the one hand, he seems to criticize the young people for the lavish life that doesn’t respect values of the Greek history, while on the other hand, he mocks the actor for the need he had to portray Aeschylus as a hero and warrior, rather than the entertaining and great tragic poet he also was.