The Tragic End of the Modern Greek Poet Kostas Karyotakis (1896-1928)

Kostas Karyotakis (1896-1928) is one of the most important poets of the 1920s generation. He opposed too harsh society, strongly criticized everyday life and conveyed his existential anguish in his poetry until the end. His poetry and his life were inextricable as his poetry portrayed his life. He committed suicide driven by frustration in Preveza on July 21 1928, leaving behind the tragedy of human existence that he himself could no longer tolerate. How tragic is it that so gifted individuals choose to kill themselves, what is happening inside their souls? Their intellect, their high sensitivity, the fact that they are different from the rest of the society, all together lead them to isolation and pessimism. Kostas Karyotakis committed suicide very young, but his poetic work was able to overcome the ravages of time and be particularly cherished and instructive even today.