Palamas, Kostes

Palamas, Kostes (kôstēs` pälämäs`), 1859–1943, Greek poet. He studied at the Univ. of Athens of which he later was secretary for many years. Except in his early work, he wrote in demotic or vernacular Greek and translated into this idiom the New Testament and the works of various European writers. His own verse is considered more intellectual than lyric, although his lament Taphos (1898) is an exception. A versatile writer, he produced epics, lyrics, plays, short stories, and criticism. Many of his 30 volumes have been translated into English, among them a lyric drama Trisevyene (1903, tr. Royal Blossom, 1923) and a volume of poetry, Life Unshakeable (1904, partial tr. 1919, 1921).

Bibliography

See studies by T. Maskaleris (1972) and T. G. Stavrou, ed. (1985).