Amorgós y otros poemas

Nikos Gatsos constitutes a unique case in contemporary Greek letters. After the publication of "Amorgos" in 1943, during the Nazi occupation of Greece, he opted for silence and hardly ever published poems again. However, he undertook a brilliant career as a lyricist and, in collaboration with Theodorakis, Hadjidakis and other composers, contributed decisively to the renewal of Greek song. "Amorgos", a landmark of the Greek surrealist movement, in the tradition, on the other hand, of the long poem of the 20th century, contains the entire legacy of modern Greek literature, of which it is a sort of compendium. Due to its role with respect to the relationship between tradition and avant-garde, and due to its political significance, a parallel can be suggested between "Amorgós" and Picasso's "Guernica", which is also a compendium of the Spanish plastic tradition.