The exact causes that led Karyotakis to kill himself are not known, and the note found on his body sheds no light on the reasons. He had great difficulty dying. On July 20th the poet purchased a pistol but went back to the store later complaining that the gun was faulty. The store owner pointed out that Karyotakis had failed to remove the safety. The same night he tried to drown himself but gave up after ten hours at sea. The only result of his prolonged struggle was to swallow large quantities of seawater. He also considered the possibility of writing an essay with the impressions of a drowned man.