Poetry
Nox et solitudo
Not translated into English
Ivan Krasko · 1909
Synopsis
Short, musical poems in which a solitary voice speaks of its melancholy, its hesitations and its pessimism, in autumn and twilight landscapes through which half-dreamed scenes pass, often amorous. The native land and peasant roots recur in them, and with them concern for the nation: social inequality, Magyarisation, the passivity of the younger generation. The Christian imagery carries less faith than nostalgia for collapsed traditions and values.
Context
The collection appeared in 1909, conceived under the pen name Janko Cigáň. Svetozár Hurban Vajanský, who wrote its preface and is in a way its godfather, advises the poet to change his pseudonym and to give up the Latin title, before accepting his choice; he writes that these verses are among the most beautiful and poetic flowers of Slovak literature. Most of the poems were born in Bohemia, near Prague, where the author worked as a chemist. Partly marked by Czech and French symbolism, this poetry finds its sequel in a second collection, Verše, in 1912, and several of its texts have been set to music by Figuš-Bystrý, Schneider-Trnavský and Suchoň.
Who it is for
Short poems with a refined music, simple in appearance, which nevertheless keep their share of enigma.
Prizes and reception
For Britannica, together with Verše, one of the finest achievements of Slovak letters.