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Uniquely this translation reproduces all Kavafy´s original poems - including the 92 ´unpublished´ and ´disowned´ poems which shed light on his development - while consistently rendering rhyme for rhyme, wit for wit, to convey his brilliant, idiosyncratic use of language. A major innovation, the sorting of poems by theme and mood, balances the poet´s inner life with his external world. A deliberately artificial division into sections, rather than chronological or random arrangement, allows the reader to appreciate and identify with individual areas of Kavafy´s concern; particularly in the ´history´ poems, their background unfamiliar to today´s common reader. Each section is preceded by a short orienting survey; a general preface sketches broader aspects of the poet´s life, character and technique, and considers such themes as his place in postcolonial writing, his linguistic fieldwork, and the vexed question of ´irony´ in his poems. For the reader wanting to follow up Kavafy´s personal circumstances, his historical references, and his (possible) engagement with the political realities of his own time, there are three detailed Timelines.

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