ABSTRACT
Yannis Ritsos was one of the most eloquent and prolific modern Greek poets. The poetic legacy of Ritsos is huge in quantity and outstanding in quality. Of equal importance in Ritsos's perspective is the idea of the vigilant soldier, enhanced by his deep admiration for all those who never betray their principles, withdraw from the battle-field, or yield before the enemy. Ritsos's meditative style and analytical interpretation are ratified in the theme of falsehood. Ritsos was capable of interweaving the world of dreams and fantasies with the world of factual reality. With his sharp and alert political spirit, Ritsos was capable of both conveying his own political experiences and reflecting the contemporaneous Greek political situation in his verse. Ritsos's formal debut in the literary milieu of his time took place in 1934 when his first collection was published under the title Tractor.
