C. P. Cavafy

C. P. Cavafy was born in Alexandria, Egypt, in 1863, to parents from Constantinople. He lived a largely reclusive life, never publishing a collection of poetry during his lifetime. However, he had a long friendship with E. M. Forster who introduced Cavafy’s work to a generation of English-speaking poets, most notably T. S. Eliot. Cavafy died of throat cancer in Alexandria in 1933.

Published in VQR

• January, 1904, Winter 2004
• Meaning, Winter 2004
• When the Watchman Saw the Light, Winter 2004
• For the Shop, Winter 2004