An Interpretive Approach to the Themes of Time and Inner Estrangement 

Between Worlds  

A moment of reflection, caught between memory and imagination.

Nostalgic for the Past
You often escape to "other worlds"
Being determined to win the lost time

Once you dive into despair
To emerge right the next moment
Into an almost blasphemous happiness…

And I am a stranger…
Lost in a parallel universe.
Stranger… in a desert city.
Lost in a "desert country."

Thessaloniki 09.06.2019
Rewritten 27.08.2019
From the poetry collection "Click" in Silence. 17 Poems (2015–2019), Press City, Thessaloniki 2025.

Analysis of Vasiliki V. Pappas' Poem "Nostalgic for the Past" 

1. Introduction
The poem "Nostalgic for the Past" offers a penetrating poetic depiction of inner conflict and psychic alienation experienced by the subject in relation to time and space. It is not merely an act of reminiscence, but a vivid chronicle of a subject who, on one hand, wrestles with lost time and despair, yet on the other experiences fleeting glimpses of happiness—albeit within conditions of emptiness and detachment.

The poem's voice is marked by a subtle dialogue between two facets:

• the "nostalgic" and

• the narrator as "stranger,"

which, whether as two characters or as two aspects of a single personal self, function complementarily to express the poem's central experience.

This work fits within a broader poetic tradition exploring human existence through the lenses of memory, loss, and alienation—central themes in both individual and collective modern experience. Its simple yet dense language, metaphors, and internal contrasts create a rhythmic and emotionally intense vision of existence across time and place.

2. Thematic and Ideological Framework
The poem operates on two parallel levels:

• nostalgia for a past that seems irretrievably lost, and

• inner estrangement in a present resembling a "deserted city" or "deserted country."

The notion of "lost time" underscores time's value and the yearning to reclaim it. The "escape to other worlds" suggests a retreat into imagination or mental landscapes as a way to transcend reality and find consolation or release.

Here, nostalgia is not simple longing but a forceful attempt to recover what is lost—a struggle imbued with existential intensity. Emotional instability alternates with brief flashes of what the poem calls "almost blasphemous" happiness: a paradoxical mood combining deep sorrow with moments of sudden, delicate joy, emerging amid melancholy.

Meanwhile, the presence of the "stranger" narrator introduces a secondary tone of distance and exclusion within unrecognized temporal and spatial contexts. The "deserted country" functions both as a physical setting and as a symbol of inner loneliness and psychic emptiness.

3. The Dual Voice and Narrative Subject
The narrative unfolds through two dominant voices:

• The voice of the "nostalgic," addressed in the second person yet carrying an air of objective third-person reflection. It is marked by a paradoxical combination of determination and emotional volatility, forming the narrative's core.

• The first-person voice of the narrator, expressing the intensity of estrangement and deprivation.

This dual presence creates a sense of internal dialogue, rupture, and observation. The narrator appears both as observer and as victim of alienation, enriching the poetic depth and inviting multidimensional interpretation.

The poem's temporal and spatial anchoring (Thessaloniki, 2019) conveys a sense of grounded reality, contrasting intriguingly with the imaginative and internal dimensions of the narrative.

4. Linguistic and Stylistic Analysis
The poem's language is succinct, concentrated, and restrained, with ellipses creating pauses and a sense of fragmentation. Short lines establish an internal rhythm reflecting the subject's scattered thoughts and emotional ambivalence.

Figures of speech are largely metaphorical and antithetical:

• Metaphors: "Escape to 'other worlds'," "lost time," along with images of the "parallel universe" and "deserted city/country" convey psychic and existential states beyond the literal.

• Antithesis: The contrast between despair and "almost blasphemous happiness" reveals the intense interiority of the nostalgic figure, seeking rare joy despite the constraints of time.

• Quotation Marks: Emphasize the ambiguous or imagined nature of these worlds.

• Repetition: The repeated word "stranger," combined with ellipses, intensifies the sense of alienation and irrevocable separation.

• Spatial imagery: The "deserted city" and "deserted country" symbolize not only geography but inner loneliness and existential void.

5. Intellectual and Ethical Context
As a trained theologian, the author introduces ethical and existential reflections, evident in expressions such as "blasphemous happiness," suggesting tension between the desire for joy and moral or spiritual doubt.

Although the religious dimension is subtle, it adds another layer of meaning, where happiness is not taken for granted but critically examined within psychic and ethical tensions.

6. Overall Structure and Function
The poem's structure:

1. Acknowledges the past and loss, via the "nostalgic for the past."

2. Describes an attempt at reconstruction through internal escape.

3. Highlights the subject's intense emotional fluctuations.

4. Concludes with the narrator's personal, detached perspective—the former "stranger"—summarizing the experience of estrangement across time and space.

The references to contemporary Thessaloniki situate the poem in a social and historical context, with the city serving as both setting and a silent emblem of isolation.

7. Conclusion – Pedagogical Summary

• "Nostalgic for the Past" portrays the existential struggle of a subject trapped between nostalgia, lost time, and internal alienation within a psychologically charged temporal and spatial landscape.

• The interplay of two complementary narrative voices facilitates exploration of the human psyche navigating the divide between past and present, despair and fleeting joy.

• Morphological and linguistic choices create profound emotional resonance, while the poet's theological lens adds ethical and existential depth without confining interpretation to traditional religious readings.

• The poem invites reflection on questions such as: Who is the "nostalgic" and who is the "stranger"? Are they distinct characters or facets of a single self? How do time and place shape the poetic experience of memory and estrangement?

8. Potential Influences on Vasiliki V. Pappas

• Pappas' theological training and sensitivity suggest a poetic approach grounded in interiority, ethics, and spirituality, aligning her with poets like T.S. Eliot, whose work probes existence through philosophical and existential inquiry.

• The tension between despair and "blasphemous happiness" reflects motifs where the moral and spiritual weight of human experience limits unencumbered joy—a recurring theme in religious and existential poetry.

• The phrase "other worlds" resonates with explorations of consciousness and existence, echoing both postmodern and existential literary themes.

8.1 Foreign Poetry References

• T.S. Eliot, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock:
  The sense of trapped time, loneliness, and inner struggle parallels the "lost time" and escapes to "other worlds" in Pappas' poem.

8.2 Greek Poetry References

• Yannis Ritsos, Maria Nefeli: Emotional struggle and nostalgia for a lost past mirror the "nostalgic" figure's descent into despair in Pappas' work.

• Odysseas Elytis, The Monogram: The existential loneliness and tension between light and darkness, despair and ecstasy, reflect Pappas' "parallel universes" and "deserted country."

• Nikos Kavvadias, Marabou and other poems: Journeys as inner exploration, nostalgia for what is lost, and the experience of solitude resonate with the themes of Pappas' poem.

In summary, "Nostalgic for the Past" connects with both Greek and global poetic traditions, centering on nostalgia, lost time, and alienation.

Final Remarks

Vasiliki V. Pappas' "Nostalgic for the Past" stands out for its honesty and depth in conveying the human experience of nostalgia and inner estrangement. Its language combines simplicity with substance, and the contrast between despair and fleeting, ambivalent joy engages the reader emotionally and intellectually. The dual narrative voices lend the poem multiplicity and vitality, while the clear temporal and spatial references contribute to its authenticity. Beneath its surface lies a spiritual dimension, adding inner resonance without imposing dogma. These elements make "Nostalgic for the Past" a significant and moving contribution to contemporary Greek poetry, recommended for readers seeking poems with profound inner depth and vivid emotional life.

Author: Lambrini Magaliou, philologist, Principal of the Gymnasium of Kolindros, Pieria, holder of a postgraduate degree, and researcher of contemporary Greek poetry. 

Critical Note by Alexis Mantas

Vasiliki V. Pappas' poetry stands out for its profound introspection and emotional honesty. In "Nostalgic for the Past", she masterfully captures the tension between memory and the present, weaving together personal longing, existential reflection, and fleeting moments of joy. Her ability to render inner alienation and the passage of time with such clarity and resonance places her work among the most compelling voices in contemporary Greek poetry. Through her careful use of metaphor, contrast, and dual narrative perspective, Pappas invites the reader into a deeply intimate yet universally understandable emotional landscape.