Valaorítis, Aristotélis

▪ Greek poet

born Aug. 2, 1824, Leucas island, Greece

died July 24, 1879, Leucas island

      Greek poet and statesman who was memorable chiefly for the ardent patriotism he displayed both in his poetry and in his political career.

      Valaorítis was educated in Leucas and at Geneva, Paris, and Pisa (1842–48) and also travelled widely in England and Germany. He returned to Leucas in 1850 and took a prominent part in the union of the Ionian Islands with Greece (1863). He then entered Greek politics but retired in 1869, after the failure of the Cretan Revolution.

      His early collection of Stichourgemata (“Versifications”) appeared in 1847. In 1857 his Mnemosyna (“Memorials”), was published and was later much expanded. His longer poems, Kyra Phrosini (1859) as well as Athanases Diakos and Astrapoyiannos (1867), deal with recent events in Greek history. His unfinished Phōteinos, set in the 14th century, appeared posthumously (1891). Valaorítis was a fluent and gifted versifier in the spoken language used by the Ionian school; but his romantic fervour, inspired especially by admiration of Victor Hugo and by his own ardent patriotism, put no restraint on his exuberance, and much, though by no means all, of his work suffers from lack of condensation and self-criticism.

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