Aleksa Šantic
Encyclopedia
Aleksa Šantić (May 27, 1868 – February 2, 1924) was a Serb poet from Herzegovina.
He was born and lived most his life in Mostar
, Bosnia-Herzegovina
, a province that was occupied by Austria-Hungary
in 1878 and annexed by them in 1908. After attending business schools in Trieste
and Ljubljana
, he settled down in his native Mostar where he became the editor-in-chief of the review Zora (Dawn; 1896–1901). In this capacity he came into the focus of the life of this region which, by its cultural and national consciousness, showed a stubborn opposition to the German Kulturtrager. The product of his patriotic inspiration during the liberating Balkan Wars of 1912-1913 is the book Na starim ognjistima (On the Old Hearths; 1913). During the First World War he was taken by the Austrians as hostage, but he survived the war and saw the realization of his dream—the union of the South Slavs.
The oeuvre of Aleksa Šantić, widely accessible yet acutely personal, is a blend of fine-tuned emotional sensibility and clear-eyed historical awareness, steeped in the specifics of local culture. Drawing themes and imagery from his hometown Mostar
, the atmospheric capital of Mediterranean Herzegovina
, and its surroundings, his poetry is marked in equal part by the late-Ottoman
urban culture in the region, its social distinctions, subdued passions and melancholy, as well as the South-Slavic
national awareness that was growing all over what was later to become Yugoslavia
.
As a Serb who embraced the form and the sentiment of the traditional Bosnian
love ballad sevdalinka
, he was a pioneer in attempting to bridge the national and cultural divides, and in his lamentation of the erosion of population through emigration, that was the result of Austria
n occupation. This combination of locally rooted, transcultural
sensibility and a dedicated pan-Slavic vision has earned him a special place in the pantheon
of South Slavic
poetry.
He was strongly influenced by Jovan Jovanović Zmaj
, Vojislav Ilić
and Heinrich Heine
. The topics and images of his poems ranged from strong emotions for social injustices of his time to nostalgic love. His poems about Mostar and the river Neretva
breathe pure and Serbian
patriotism
and are considered particularly beautiful. Šantić wrote a number of love songs in the style of the Bosnian
love songs, sevdalinka
s. His most well known sevdalinka is Emina, to which music was composed and it is often sung at restaurants (kafana
s).
During his life he wrote six volumes of poetry (1891, 1895, 1900, 1908, 1911, 1913), as well as some dramatizations in verse, the best of which are Pod maglom (In the Fog; 1907) and Hasan-Aginica (1911). He also translated Heine's Lyrisches Intermezzo (1897–1898), prepared an anthology of translated german poets, Iz nemacke lirike (From German Lyrics; 1910), made Serbian renderings of Schiller's Wilhelm Tell (1922) and translated Pesme roba (Poems of a Slave; 1919) from the Czech writer Svatopluk Cech. He also translated successfully from German.
Aleksa Šantić
, a village in Serbia
is named after this poet. He is also pictured on 10 Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark
s bill.
Sea bluely gleaming,
Dreaming;
Chill darkness earthward falls.
The last red glimmer
Dimmer
O'er blackened ridges crawls.
And chimes are droning,
Moaning,
Trembling where rocks arise;
Prayers have ascended,
Blended
With poor men's long-drawn sighs.
Before God's altar
Falter
This wailing, haggard brood.
But ne'er is spoken
Token
By God upon His rood.
And dreams are nearer,
Clearer;
Chill darkness earthward falls.
The last red glimmer
Dimmer
O'er blackened ridges crawls.
He was born and lived most his life in Mostar
Mostar
Mostar is a city and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the largest and one of the most important cities in the Herzegovina region and the center of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation. Mostar is situated on the Neretva river and is the fifth-largest city in the country...
, Bosnia-Herzegovina
History of Bosnia and Herzegovina (1463–1878)
The arrival of the Ottoman Turks marked a new era in Bosnian history.-Ottoman Rule:The Turks had conquered Slavonia and most of Hungary by 1541. In the next century, most of the Bosnian province wasn't a borderland and developed in relative peace...
, a province that was occupied by Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
in 1878 and annexed by them in 1908. After attending business schools in Trieste
Trieste
Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city...
and Ljubljana
Ljubljana
Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and its largest city. It is the centre of the City Municipality of Ljubljana. It is located in the centre of the country in the Ljubljana Basin, and is a mid-sized city of some 270,000 inhabitants...
, he settled down in his native Mostar where he became the editor-in-chief of the review Zora (Dawn; 1896–1901). In this capacity he came into the focus of the life of this region which, by its cultural and national consciousness, showed a stubborn opposition to the German Kulturtrager. The product of his patriotic inspiration during the liberating Balkan Wars of 1912-1913 is the book Na starim ognjistima (On the Old Hearths; 1913). During the First World War he was taken by the Austrians as hostage, but he survived the war and saw the realization of his dream—the union of the South Slavs.
The oeuvre of Aleksa Šantić, widely accessible yet acutely personal, is a blend of fine-tuned emotional sensibility and clear-eyed historical awareness, steeped in the specifics of local culture. Drawing themes and imagery from his hometown Mostar
Mostar
Mostar is a city and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the largest and one of the most important cities in the Herzegovina region and the center of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation. Mostar is situated on the Neretva river and is the fifth-largest city in the country...
, the atmospheric capital of Mediterranean Herzegovina
Herzegovina
Herzegovina is the southern region of Bosnia and Herzegovina. While there is no official border distinguishing it from the Bosnian region, it is generally accepted that the borders of the region are Croatia to the west, Montenegro to the south, the canton boundaries of the Herzegovina-Neretva...
, and its surroundings, his poetry is marked in equal part by the late-Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
urban culture in the region, its social distinctions, subdued passions and melancholy, as well as the South-Slavic
South Slavs
The South Slavs are the southern branch of the Slavic peoples and speak South Slavic languages. Geographically, the South Slavs are native to the Balkan peninsula, the southern Pannonian Plain and the eastern Alps...
national awareness that was growing all over what was later to become Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
.
As a Serb who embraced the form and the sentiment of the traditional Bosnian
Bosnians
Bosnians are people who reside in, or come from, Bosnia and Herzegovina. By the modern state definition a Bosnian can be anyone who holds citizenship of the state. This includes, but is not limited to, members of the constituent ethnic groups of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Bosniaks, Bosnian Serbs and...
love ballad sevdalinka
Sevdalinka
Sevdalinka is a traditional genre of folk music from Bosnia and Herzegovina.Sevdalinka is popular across the ex-Yugoslavia region, especially in Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia. The actual composers of many sevdalinkas are unknown....
, he was a pioneer in attempting to bridge the national and cultural divides, and in his lamentation of the erosion of population through emigration, that was the result of Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n occupation. This combination of locally rooted, transcultural
Transcultural
Transcultural may refer to:*Transcultural psychiatry, also known as Cross-cultural psychiatry*Transculturation, the phenomenon of merging and converging cultures*Transculturalism*Transcultural diffussion...
sensibility and a dedicated pan-Slavic vision has earned him a special place in the pantheon
Pantheon (gods)
A pantheon is a set of all the gods of a particular polytheistic religion or mythology.Max Weber's 1922 opus, Economy and Society discusses the link between a...
of South Slavic
South Slavic languages
The South Slavic languages comprise one of three branches of the Slavic languages. There are approximately 30 million speakers, mainly in the Balkans. These are separated geographically from speakers of the other two Slavic branches by a belt of German, Hungarian and Romanian speakers...
poetry.
He was strongly influenced by Jovan Jovanović Zmaj
Jovan Jovanovic Zmaj
Jovan Jovanović Zmaj was one of the best-known Serbian poets. He was a physician by profession, like his literary predecessor writer Jovan Stejić ....
, Vojislav Ilić
Vojislav Ilic
Vojislav Ilić was a 19th century Serbian poet of finely chiselled verse, son of the Romanticist playwright and poet Jovan Ilić. He was born in the capital of Serbia, Belgrade....
and Heinrich Heine
Heinrich Heine
Christian Johann Heinrich Heine was one of the most significant German poets of the 19th century. He was also a journalist, essayist, and literary critic. He is best known outside Germany for his early lyric poetry, which was set to music in the form of Lieder by composers such as Robert Schumann...
. The topics and images of his poems ranged from strong emotions for social injustices of his time to nostalgic love. His poems about Mostar and the river Neretva
Neretva
Neretva is the largest river of the eastern part of the Adriatic basin. It has been harnessed and controlled to a large extent by four HE power-plants with large dams and their storage lakes, but it is still recognized for its natural beauty, diversity of its landscape and visual...
breathe pure and Serbian
Serbian culture
Serbian culture refers to the culture of Serbia and of ethnic Serbs.The Serbian culture starts with that of the South Slavic peoples that lived in the Balkans. Early on, Serbs may have been influenced by the Paleo-Balkan peoples...
patriotism
Patriotism
Patriotism is a devotion to one's country, excluding differences caused by the dependencies of the term's meaning upon context, geography and philosophy...
and are considered particularly beautiful. Šantić wrote a number of love songs in the style of the Bosnian
Bosnian language
Bosnian is a South Slavic language, spoken by Bosniaks. As a standardized form of the Shtokavian dialect, it is one of the three official languages of Bosnia and Herzegovina....
love songs, sevdalinka
Sevdalinka
Sevdalinka is a traditional genre of folk music from Bosnia and Herzegovina.Sevdalinka is popular across the ex-Yugoslavia region, especially in Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia. The actual composers of many sevdalinkas are unknown....
s. His most well known sevdalinka is Emina, to which music was composed and it is often sung at restaurants (kafana
Kafana
Kafana , kafeana , kavana are terms used in the former Yugoslav countries for a distinct type of local bistro which primarily serves alcoholic beverages and coffee , and which sometimes also has a live band.The concept of a social gathering place for men to drink...
s).
During his life he wrote six volumes of poetry (1891, 1895, 1900, 1908, 1911, 1913), as well as some dramatizations in verse, the best of which are Pod maglom (In the Fog; 1907) and Hasan-Aginica (1911). He also translated Heine's Lyrisches Intermezzo (1897–1898), prepared an anthology of translated german poets, Iz nemacke lirike (From German Lyrics; 1910), made Serbian renderings of Schiller's Wilhelm Tell (1922) and translated Pesme roba (Poems of a Slave; 1919) from the Czech writer Svatopluk Cech. He also translated successfully from German.
Aleksa Šantić
Aleksa Šantic (village)
Aleksa Šantić is a village located in the Sombor municipality, in the West Bačka District of Serbia. It is situated in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina. The population of the village numbering 2,172 people and most of its inhabitants are ethnic Serbs.-Name:The village is named after Aleksa...
, a village in Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
is named after this poet. He is also pictured on 10 Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark
Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark
The Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark is the currency of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is divided into 100 fenings...
s bill.
A Poem
Few spots in the world have such gracious beauty as the Dalmatian coast of the Adriatic. He thus foresees the liberation of his native province, in the Dalmatian Nocture:Sea bluely gleaming,
Dreaming;
Chill darkness earthward falls.
The last red glimmer
Dimmer
O'er blackened ridges crawls.
And chimes are droning,
Moaning,
Trembling where rocks arise;
Prayers have ascended,
Blended
With poor men's long-drawn sighs.
Before God's altar
Falter
This wailing, haggard brood.
But ne'er is spoken
Token
By God upon His rood.
And dreams are nearer,
Clearer;
Chill darkness earthward falls.
The last red glimmer
Dimmer
O'er blackened ridges crawls.