Creator: C. P. Cavafy
Κ. Π. Καβάφης
Work Type: Poem
Date: 1898
Description:
C.P. Cavafy’s poem “Waiting for the Barbarians,” first published in 1904, is a powerful allegory that explores themes of expectation, disappointment, and political critique. The poem depicts a city-state whose citizens, weary of their own society’s decay, eagerly anticipate the arrival of barbarians, believing these outsiders will bring change and purpose. Through a series of questions and answers, the poem builds anticipation only to end in disillusionment when the barbarians do not arrive, highlighting the absurdity of relying on external forces to address internal problems. The poem employs irony to underscore the paradox of waiting for an undefined ‘other’ to resolve societal stagnation, making a poignant statement about human nature and political complacency.
1. “Waiting for the Barbarians,” Poetry Foundation. Accessed June 30, 2024. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/51294/waiting-for-the-barbarians.
2. “Waiting for the Barbarians,” Onassis Foundation. Accessed June 30, 2024. https://www.onassis.org/initiatives/cavafy-archive/the-canon/waiting-for-the-barbarians.
Relationship to Sicilianos's Work:
C.P. Cavafy’s Waiting for the Barbarians and its interpretation in Yorgos Sicilianos’s Six Fantastic Pieces both explore themes of anticipation and existential reflection. In Cavafy’s poem, the citizens’ eager yet futile expectation of the barbarians underscores societal and personal stagnation, highlighting the absurdity of relying on external forces for change. Sicilianos incorporates this theme into his orchestral composition, reflecting the human tendency to wait for an external saviour while remaining trapped within self-imposed or societal barriers. This anticipation and eventual disillusionment are mirrored in the music, capturing the same sense of unresolved tension and introspection found in Cavafy’s poem. Sicilianos chose not to set the poems to music directly but to express the emotions they evoked, focusing on the psychological landscape of isolation and expectation central to both works.
See: Sicilianos Archive Files #4 in Six Fantastic Pieces.
# |
Work Page |
|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
 |
YSC97 |
Six Fantastic Pieces |
after six poems by C. P. Cavafy |
54 |
3333-4331, Harp, Timpani, Celesta, Percussion (Xylophone, Snare Drum, Piccolo Snare, Bass Drum, Cymbals, Tam-Tam), Strings |
2. Waiting for the barbarians |