Miltos Sachtouris, according to the genealogical classification of our modern literary history, belongs to the poets of the 'first post-war generation.' The atmosphere of post-war Athens, predominant in most of his poetic work, marked the experiences of the poetic myth and was largely a common reference point for the readers of that generation: 'Those who remember the war and the occupation with pain but also with love; all those who lived the tender years of adolescence and early youth amidst a whirlwind; all those who preserved some dreams that they defended with a bitter passion amid the horror of difficult times; all those who could not rediscover, in the 'peaceful' post-war years, the quiet, nightmare-free sleep of a carefree life. These will understand more,' noted Nora Anagnostaki in 1960.

If we accept Anagnostaki's above assessment, that is, that the common post-war experiences aid the communication of Sachtouris's poetry with the reading public, we will find the divergence of her views with a large portion of his contemporary critics. The criticism, especially during the first two decades of the poet's literary reception, overlooked his work.

[Excerpt from the introduction text of the edition]