Kavafis (1863-1933) is one of the better known Greek poets of the 20th century. Born of Greek parents in Alexandria, Egypt, in 1863, he was their ninth and last child. His only known formal education was a brief enrollment in the Hermis Lyceum, a commercial school in Alexandria. Appointed clerk in the Ministry of Public Works in Alexandria in 1892, he held this position until his retirement in 1922. He died in Alexandria in 1933.
Almost all of Kavafis' work was in Greek; yet, his poetry remained unrecognized in Greece until after the publication of his first anthology in 1935. He is known for his prosaic use of metaphors, his briliant use of historical imagery, and his aesthetic perfectionism. These attributes, amongst others, have assure him of an enduring place in the literary pantheon of the Western World.