Odysseas Elytis, the winner of the 1979 Nobel Prize for Literature, is one of the most outstanding figures of 20th century poetry. Born in Crete, Elytis was the descendant of an old family of Lesbos, the island of the ancient Greek poet Sappho. Elytis broke off his university studies in Law in order to devote himself to his literary and artistic interests. His life was marked by his participation in the Greek Resistance Army after the outbreak of the Second World War. In 1948 Elytis moved to Paris, attending philosophy lectures in Sorbonne and frequenting members of the world's avant-garde. His poetry became widely well-known after it was set to music by composer Mikis Theodorakis.
