Free Besieged: Difference between revisions

The Free Besieged is one of the top poetic compositions of Dionysius Solomos that seems to have occupied the biggest part of his life, while being one of the most important works of Greek poetry^[1]. Written in a fifteen syllabus verse, the work is inspired by the events of the siege and the exodus of Missolonghi during the Revolution of 1821^[2].

His creator dealt with composing the poem during the whole time of the mature poetic period of his life (1834 - 1847), making the poem organic, because of the belief that in the long time development of it, imprints the volition of the poets ideas^[3]. The Free Besieged is one of the most fragmentary pieces of his work. It was delivered in the form of three designs, after careful studying of the poets files from Iakovos Polylas, who issued it for the first time.

The source of inspiration of The Free Besieged is the fight of the defenders of Missolonghi, during the second siege from the Ottomans, that went on for about a year (1825-1826) and peaked with the desperate exit of the Palm Monday in 10 April 1826. Solomos in his work attempted to highlight in a poetic speech the moral greatness of the Greek fighters that led themselves, in full consciousness, to their sacrifices for the conquer of their spiritual freedom.^[4]

The work is not a single poem, but consists of three drawings in fragmentary form. The First Design has a lyrical style. The Second Design, which contains the most important pieces in poetic conception, [pending citation] consists of a total of 61 excerpts, written in iambic fifteen syllables with a paired rhyme. It was composed during the poet's stay in Corfu, during the period 1833-1844. Finally, the Third Design includes 15 poetic excerpts composed from 1844 until the end of Solomos' life. In the 2nd and 3rd drawings, small passages are inserted between the poetic excerpts, which were handwritten drawings of Solomos written in Italian, and which were translated and included in the body of the work by Iakovos Polylas. There are also additional short sections, written by Polylas for further understanding of each passage and the connection between them. The central idea of the play, as detailed in Solomols plans, is the struggle of the besieged against hardships, while they become truly free with spiritual victory against a series of temptations. It becomes a reason for the inner freedom of the will to overcome all that threatens the strength of their resistance, not only hunger and physical weakening but also of every temptation offered by the very beauty of nature. The play recounts the last days of the siege, which occurred during the spring, just before Easter. Two of its most characteristic excerpts refer to the beauty of nature during this era. The language of the Free Besieged is demotic with the idioms and peculiarities that characterize Solomo.^[5]

• Γαραντούδης Ε. 2000, «Η Ποίηση του Δ. Σολωμού» στο Α. Αναστασιάδου κ.ά. Νεοελληνική Φιλολογία, ΕΑΠ, Πάτρα
  • Μάκριτζ Πήτερ 1995, Διονύσιος Σολωμός, (μτφρ. Κατερίνα Αγγελάκη-Ρουκ), Καστανιώτης, Αθήνα
  • Μάκριτζ Πήτερ 1996, Ancient Greek myth in modern Greek poetry: essays in memory of C.A. Trypanis, Routledge, 1996, ISBN 9780714647517.
  • Επτανησιακή Σχολή^{[νεκρός σύνδεσμος]}. Κείμενα Νεοελληνικής Λογοτεχνίας (Α' Γενικού Λυκείου – Γενικής Παιδείας). Υπουργείο Εθνικής Παιδείας και Θρησκευμάτων.
  • Κείμενα Νεοελληνικής Λογοτεχνίας. Παιδαγωγικό Ινστιτούτο. Α' Τάξη Γενικού Λυκείου, Α' Τεύχος. Βιβλίο Καθηγητή. σελ. 113-116