Abstract
D.Litt.
The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the role which tradition plays in Ritsos'
poetry. It constitutes three chapters:
Ancient tradition in Ritsos' poetry but more especially in the poems of The
Fourth Dimension.
The Folk Song and Ritsos' Epitaph.
Folk, Historical, Literary, and Religious tradition in Ritsos' poetry but more
especially in the following poems: Romiossini ("Greekness'), Kira Ton
Abelion ("Lady of the Vineyards'), Teratodes Aristourgima ("Monstrous
Masterpiece').
In the early section of the first chapter, emphasis is placed on the presence of "myth" in
Ritsos' poetry - myth, which enriches it with symbols and references drawn from the
entire mythological nexus. Ritsos penetrates modern man's thoughts, feelings and
actions. He applies the principle of objectivity, which at the same time is the "basic
function" of his mythical method.
In the second part, emphasis is placed not only on the dramatic monologues of Ritsos'
Fourth Dimension but also on the manner in which the monologues relate with ancient
drama, where Ritsos with his own personal and vivid style gives it that human drama
which identifies with that of Greek tragedy. Furthermore, existing linguistic similarities and differences are illustrated which exist in
The Fourth Dimension and ancient drama. The dramatic factor is examined in the
poems and monologues as also on the demystification and the unheroic - a factor
common to both Ritsos and Euripides.
The second chapter demonstrates the influence of folk songs on Ritsos' poetry and more
especially on the Epitaph. A detailed discussion is presented on the manner in which the
Epitaph relates with the Laments (folk songs of grief and lamentation), with the
following points of comparison used in this regard:
use of the Fifteen Syllabic Metre,
language,
vocabulary,
syntactical and paratactical elements,
pleonastic uses, figures of speech,
symmetry,
rhyme and literary style, inter alia.
The third chapter examines in detail the element of tradition (ancient, historical, literary,
Christian, religious and folk-lyric factors) in the following poems: 'Romiossini'
('Greelcriess), 'Kira Ton Abelion' (Lady of the Vineyards) and 'Teratodes
Aristourgima' (Monstrous Masterpiece '). The aim in this section is to ascertain (by
means of direct and indirect examples drawn from Greek Tradition) the degree of
influence which tradition exerts on Ritsos' work and the, manner in which Ritsos' work
relates to it. Obvious similarities are pointed out - those which are contained in
'Romiossini' and Solomos"Eleftheri Poliorkimeni' ('The Free Besieged).
Furthermore, similarities found in Sikelianos"/era Odos' ('The Sacred Way) and 'Kira
Ton Abelion' ('Lady of the Vineyards) are compared with those found in Makriyannis
and Theophilos (common element in Ritsos - Seferis-Elytis). Similarities found in
'Teratodes Aristourgima' (Monstrous Masterpiece) are compared with those of
Kariotakis, Palamas ('Dodecalogos tou Giftou' - ' Gypsy's Dodecalogue), Porfiras,
Varnalis, Tsirkas, 'Erophili and Erotocritos'.