Poetry
Pesmi in romance
Not translated into English
Josip Murn-Aleksandrov · 1903
Synopsis
Short poems, made of atmosphere and avowals, in which pass the moods, emotions and dreams of a young man. Many take the Slovene countryside as their matter: peasant songs, customs and beliefs, and a nature noted in touches, in the Impressionist manner. Others speak of love for a young woman, Alma, and of a pessimism that nothing softens. Beneath the simplicity of the tone, symbolic undertones surface.
Context
The collection appeared in 1903, two years after the poet's death; he had published only in journals during his lifetime. His friend Ivan Prijatelj, a historian of literature, edited it and wrote the preface, the first study of this work, which made it known. Sources differ on each man's share in the choice of poems. Aleksandrov's pen name sounded like a Slavic peasant archaism, and the poet also drew on Irish, Scottish, Slovak and Latvian folk songs. His poem on the Vlachs is held to be one of the finest in the language.
Who it is for
Short poems in simple language, which can be read one by one; there is no French translation.
Prizes and reception
His reputation grew after the First World War and peaked after the Second; he is regarded as a great national lyric poet.
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