Epitaphios (Ritsos)
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| "Epitaphios" | |
|---|---|
| by Giannis Ritsos | |
.jpg) The poem was inspired by this picture.[1] | |
| Original title | Επιτάφιος |
| Written | 1936 |
| First published in | Rizospastis |
| Country | Greece |
| Language | Greek |
| Series | Moiroloi |
| Form | Funeral Procession |
| Publication date | 8 June 1936 |
| Lines | 224 (1st ed.) 324 (2nd ed.) |
"Epitaphios" (Greek: Επιτάφιος, "Epitaph") is a poem by Yiannis Ritsos published in 1936.[2]
In May 1936, Ritsos had read about the great strike and demonstration of the tobacco workers of Thessaloniki in the newspaper Rizospastis. The peaceful protest had been drowned in blood by the dictatorial government of Ioannis Metaxas, with a total of twelve dead workers. The article included a photograph depicting a mother mourning over her dead child. This photo had a huge impact on Ritsos, and inspired him to write the poem:
I was locked in the attic of my house for two days and nights and I was writing, without eating and sleeping, on the third day, I couldn't stand it, I started to collapse...
He then delivered the first three poems to Euthyfronas Iliadis, who published them in Rizospastis.
