Over the Seasons

Description:

The poem explores themes of the changing seasons and the cyclical nature of life. It reflects on the passage of time, the inevitability of change, and the resilience required to endure it. The imagery captures the beauty and harshness of nature, illustrating how each season brings its own challenges and transformations. The poem evokes a sense of acceptance and perseverance, recognising that while some aspects of life fade, others are continually reborn.

About the poet:

Takis Sinopoulos (1917-1981). Takis Sinopoulos was born in Agoulinitsa (Αγουλινίτσα) in Ilia, the firstborn son of the philologist George Sinopoulos (Γιώργος Σινόπουλος) and Roussa-Veneta (Ρούσας-Βενέτας) née Argyropoulou (Αργυροπούλου) and was baptised Paikos. In 1920, the Sinopoulos family moved to Pyrgos (Πύργος) in Ilia. There, the poet’s brother, Noulis (Athanasios) (Αθανάσιος), and the twins Pavlos and Maria were born. Sinopoulos spent his school years in Pyrgos and in 1934 moved to Athens to study medicine. During his studies, he published poems, prose, critical notes, and translations in literary magazines of Athens and the provinces. In 1941, he was drafted as a medical sergeant. During the German occupation, he participated in amateur theatrical performances, continued to write and publish translations and poems, was imprisoned by the Italians as a resistance fighter (1942), and graduated from the Medical School (1944). During the Civil War, he served as an infantry doctor and spent two years (1946-1947) with his battalion in a village outside Kalambaka. He returned to Athens in 1948 and from 1949 practised medicine for many years. He died in Pyrgos, Ilia.

His first appearance in the literary world was in 1934 with the publication of the poem “Betrayal” (“Προδοσία”) and the short story “The Revenge of a Humble Man” (“Η εκδίκηση ενός ταπεινού”) in the Pyrgos newspaper “New Day” (“Νέα Ημέρα”) under the pseudonym Argyros Roubanis (Αργυρός Ρουμπάνης). His first poetry collection was titled “Threshold” (“Μεταίχμιο”) and was published in 1951.

Takis Sinopoulos’s poetic journey is divided by literary criticism into two phases. In the first phase (1940-1965), descriptive and lyrical elements dominate, as well as contemplative writing, influenced by Eliot, Seferis, and Ezra Pound, within the effort to define a poetic universe in an anti-poetic and disappointing world. The second phase (around 1965 until the end of his poetic production) continues with themes of decay and death but shows a shift in the use of language towards an anti-poetic, aggressive, and often ironic tone. From 1963 to 1967, he collaborated with the magazine “Seasons” (“Εποχές”), where he published book reviews. During Papadopoulos’s dictatorship, he participated in the anti-dictatorial publications “18 Texts” (“18 Κείμενα”) and “Texts” 1 and 2 (“Κείμενα” 1 και 2), co-founded the Society for the Study of Greek Problems, and collaborated with the magazine “The Continuation” (“Συνέχεια”).

For more biographical details, see Alexandros Argyriou, “Takis Sinopoulos” in “Greek Poetry: The First Post-War Generation” (Η ελληνική ποίηση· η πρώτη μεταπολεμική γενιά), Athens: Sokolis, 1982, pp. 134-157, Alexis Ziras, “Sinopoulos Takis” in “World Biographical Dictionary” (Παγκόσμιο Βιογραφικό Λεξικό), vol. 9a, Athens: Ekdotiki Athinon, 1988, and Michalis G. Meraklis, “Sinopoulos, Takis” in “Dictionary of Modern Greek Literature” (Λεξικό Νεοελληνικής Λογοτεχνίας), Athens: Patakis, 2007, pp. 2017-2018.

Source: Biblionet.gr