Andreas Kalvos

Contemporaneous with Solomos, the very important and much recognised poet Andreas Kalvos was born in Zakynthos in 1792. His mother, Andriani Roukani, was a young lady of noble rank, and his father, Ioannis Kalvos, was a petit bourgeois and adventurer. In 1802, Ioannis Kalvos leaves his wife and takes his two sons (Andreas and Nicolaos, who was two years younger than his brother) with him, and they settle in Leghorn (Livorno).

Kalvos’ childhood and adolescent years were unenviable and stigmatised by the absence of his mother and nostalgia for his homeland, Zakynthos. However, Leghorn provides the eager learner Andreas Kalvos the opportunity to educate himself. It is at Leghorn that he is first familiarised with Greek literature as well as the classical Greek and Latin antiquity. However, he does not succeed in receiving orderly education, due to his unstable family life. His parents divorce in 1805, and Andreas continues to live with his father, whom he accompanies on his travels.

1812 is a landmark-year in Kalvos’ life, for two significant events mark it: he looses his father and he meets Ugo Foscolo, one of the most important poets and scholars of the time. Foscolo becomes his teacher and mentor, and initiates him into neoclassicism, archaic norms and political liberalism. In 1813, under Foscolo’s shadow, Kalvos writes three tragedies: Thiramenis, Danaides and Ippias. In 1816, the poet’s mother passes away, which marks his life deeply. The same year, Kalvos and Foscolo take to England; in 1817, however, their friendship and collaboration comes to an end due to the sour temper of both.

In 1824, Kalvos prints the Lyra, ten patriotic odes, in Gevena, and in 1826, he prints ten more odes, the Lyrica, in Paris. The above mentioned works make up Kalvos’ unique presence in Greek poetry. His poetic language is odd: a mixture of puristic Greek (kathareuousa) and demotic language (spoken language of his time) that is enriched with archaic expressions. In these odes, he lauds the Greek Revolution, and much more: his first ode, Filopatris (The Patriot), is a hymn to his birthplace, Zakynthos, while the ode Eis Thanaton (To Death) refers to the passing away of his beloved mother. Kalvos is a truly unique case in Greek literature, for he wished to write for his country, whilst he was completely isolated from the Greek reality, tradition and language, as he lived abroad for over 20 years.

In 1826, Kalvos decides to return to Greece. At first, he goes to Nafplio, and later on to Corfu (August 1826), where he teaches at the Ionian Academy for a while. Few things are known about his stay on the island; however, he lived there for more than 25 years. During these years, he does not publish any poetical works, only a few articles in local newspapers. In 1852, he suddenly leaves for England, where he marries for the second time and runs a girl’s school in Linconshire, and simultaneously translates books for the Anglican church.

He passed away in November 1869, and his remains were moved to Zakynthos with great honours in 1960. His poetical work remained forgotten for many years, but Palamas discovered it once again, thus Kalvos’ unique work met the recognition it merited, and formed an important source of inspiration for the Greek poets of the 1930’s.