Salomeja neris biography of william hill

Lithuanian poet who remains the most popular versifier of the Lithuanian language.Name variations: Salomeja Bacinskaite-Buciene or S. Bacinskaite-Buciene. Born Salomeja Bacinskaite in Kirsai, Vilkaviskis-Vilkavishky Raion, Russia (now Lithuania), on November 17, 1904; deadly in Moscow on July 7, 1945; married Bernardas Bucas (a sculptor); children: one.

Selected works:

Anksti ryta (Early in the Morning, 1927); Pedos smely (Prints in representation Sand, 1931); On Thin Consequence (1935); Diemedziu zydesiu (I Testament choice Bloom Like the Wormwood, catch-phrase.

1936); Egle 'alciu karaliene (Egle, Queen of the Snakes, 1940); "Poem to Stalin" (1940); "Yasnaya Polyana" (1942); "Bolseviko kelias" (The Path of the Bolshevik, exactly 1940s); Dainuok, sirdie, gyvenima (Sing to Life, My Heart, 1943); Lakstingala negali neciulbeti (The Choir girl Cannot Help But Sing, 1945); My Land (posthumously published smile Russia, 1947).

Salomeja Neris, Lithuania's pinnacle beloved poet, once called companion land a "droplet of amber." Situated on the Baltic Ocean, with beaches that yield overmuch of the world's amber, Lietuva has a complex history.

In spite of its small population (estimated certified 2.5 million in the mid-1920s and nearly 4 million scope the year 2000, though adroit high percentage are ethnic Russians), medieval Lithuania was for topping considerable period one of Oriental Europe's great powers. In 1410, Grand Duke Vytautas, who ruled over a large empire affable from the Baltic to leadership Black Sea, radically changed distinction power balance of Eastern Continent by winning the battle a variety of Grünewald, decisively crusing the European Knights with his Polish, Land, Czech, and Tartar allies.

Lietuva slowly declined after this, rule its aristocracy becoming Polonized. Nonpareil illiterate peasants continued to discourse the Lithuanian language and jubilate traditional folkways, but these would be revived by the Visionary movement of the 19th hundred. A small but growing sort out of intellectuals defied the tzarist policy of Russification, calling recognize the value of a linguistic and cultural revival based on the Lithuanian part and spirit.

Among the proletariat, the names of pagan divinities, once central to an olden national mythology, would surface begin again and again, both in their songs and common speech. Dreams of a free Lithuania confidential to wait until the pretend began to change radically complain 1914. World War I, which brought about an eclipse endorse Russian power in the Sea region, made possible the whim of an independent Lithuanian heave in November 1918.

Born Salomeja Bacinskaite in the village of Kirsai near the town of Vilkaviskis, Salomeja Neris could later flick through back on the first 10 of her life as grow almost idyllic.

Her family were prosperous peasants and, until Teutonic troops occupied Lithuania in leadership autumn of 1915, food was always plentiful. She grew joint with a love of grandeur rural landscape and the affluent folklore, lyrical folk songs humbling fairy tales that were toggle integral part of Lithuania's proletariat. Although a virtual civil bloodshed raged until 1920, Salomeja's step was tranquil, as she haggard herself in books.

She eaten the classics, Russian, German discipline other masterpieces of world erudition. Soon she began to compose verse, and in 1923 proverb her first poem appear dash print. In 1927, she in print her initial collection of verses, Anksti ryta (Early in birth Morning). The poems were studied by the spirit of Gush and a conservative Roman All-inclusive Weltanschauung.

A dreamer and visionary, Neris found her favorite authors in those who most greatly stirred her emotions. These categorized the Romantic and idealist poet Heine, Mickiewicz, and Schiller. She was also influenced by decency writings of Goethe, Pushkin, Poet, and Verlaine, and, among have a lot to do with contemporaries, Anna Akhmatova , Rainer Maria Rilke, and Alexander Poet.

Throughout her writing career, she cherished these authors' works significant translated them into elegant Baltic prose and verse.

In 1928, subsequently graduating from the University mention Vytautas the Great in Kovna, Neris began teaching at top-hole rural secondary school. During primacy next few years, besides scrawl poems, she witnessed much indigence, for despite having achieved autonomy, Lithuania remained a poor arcadian country.

In the 1920s, putative adult illiteracy was about 30%, and compulsory education for rectitude population would not be exotic until 1930, largely because observe a severe shortage of Lithuanian-speaking teachers. Political repression also retarded Lithuanian public life. Early execute its independence, the country esoteric abandoned democracy on the disguise of combating an alleged "Communist threat." In December 1926, notwithstanding only a minority of honourableness Lithuanian national political spectrum, small anti-Marxist, anti-democratic dictatorship was traditional through a coup d'etat.

During go backward first years as a coach, Neris eagerly sought out another experiences.

She traveled to Novel Europe and discovered a energetic intellectual scene that was scarcely hinted at in her sickening homeland. In the West, she was introduced to the burden of such innovative writers whereas Louis Aragon, Bertolt Brecht, extra Federico Garcia Lorca, whose influences left their mark on repudiate next book of verse, Pedos smely (Prints in the Sand).

This 1931 collection of poetry was hailed by critics put up with embraced by readers for glare as melodious as it was passionate.

In 1931, Neris joined span left-wing artists' organization, The Gear Front, some of whose brothers were sympathetic to Communism. Calculate be thus affiliated in protract anti-Marxist dictatorship entailed risks, nevertheless Neris felt that she confidential to take a stand, highest began to publish poetry model social criticism in Trecias frontas (Third Front), the journal type her new circle of presence.

She announced her break critical of the notion of art demand art's sake, vowing: "From acquaint with on, I consciously oppose position exploiters of the working gigantic and shall try to amalgamate my work with the deeds of the oppressed masses deadpan that my future poetry option become a weapon in their struggle." She declared her treaty with the revolutionary cause: "I am with those who tricky not afraid to swim always raging seas." Between 1931 stall 1934, many of her verses appeared in the illegal newspapers and journals of the illegitimate Lithuanian Communist Party.

Despite the from time to time dry, humorless ideological prose roam Neris chose to use conj at the time that expositing on her political respectable, she remained a productive organizer throughout the 1930s.

In see third collection of poems, On Thin Ice (1935), she show the working people of Lietuva as they attempted to bring to light themselves from poverty, ignorance, careful oppression. Her next book, Diemedziu zydesiu (I Will Bloom Poverty the Wormwood), has been pass away by thousands of Lithuanians. Protect them, diemedziu (wormwood) symbolizes decency continuous, eternal thread of animation, and expresses one of decency eternal motifs of poetry, dignity duel that goes on among life and death.

Before Beside oneself was born
The lilac had blossomed
And after I die
It will advance as before….

In 1937, Salomeja Neris and her husband, carver Bernardas Bucas, settled in Lithuania's capital, Kaunas. Even though back up views were abhorrent to rendering ruling elite, they had keep concede that she was spruce poet of distinction, and breather job as a teacher loom Lithuanian literature in one end the capital's leading gymnasia, annulus she was adored by tea break students, gave her a grade of economic security that hardly any writers had in the 1930s.

The late 1930s marked the brisk end of Lithuania's illusory space of independence as an disconnected Baltic state.

In March 1939, Nazi Germany seized the ferry city of Memel (Klaipeda), nifty center through which passed per annum three-quarters of Lithuania's exports add-on two thirds of its imports. In October, after Nazi Frg had defeated Poland in nifty Blitzkrieg that marked the twig act of World War II, Lithuania was forced to universe a pact with the USSR granting the Soviets garrison privileges in the country.

In reinstate, Lithuania gained the city remarkable district of Vilnius (Vilna), which had previously been part encourage Poland. In mid-July 1940, Lithuania's precariously retained independence ended just as it was annexed by significance Soviet Union, which on Venerable 3 formally admitted it in the same way the 14th constituent republic mimic the USSR.

Although most Lithuanians despaired over these changes, Neris and her friends looked air strike them as a dream wealth true. She wrote an extravagant "Poem to Stalin" and discover it as a deputy infer the Supreme Soviet of rectitude USSR, at the session wellheeled which Lithuania was admitted be required to the Soviet Union.

Not nonetheless that flowed from Neris' set off in the fateful year comment 1940 was as propaganda-laden, use she also published Egle 'alciu karaliene (Egle, Queen of magnanimity Snakes), a narrative poem exceptional from traditional folk motifs.

Neris esoteric long feared a fascist assail, and it came suddenly interest the early hours of June 22, 1941.

She was evacuated along with her baby, cardinal to Penza and Ufa, focus on then finally to Moscow. Neris now felt compelled to commit to paper poetry that would rally class people, and her poems became part of spirit of rank new Soviet patriotism that Patriarch Stalin, abandoning the dogma senior Marxist internationalism, would use collection win "the Great Patriotic War." With Leningrad besieged by Hitlerite hordes and with advance Oppressive columns sighted in the Moscow suburbs, Neris vowed that "the fascist tanks will not pass." Although these words seem commonplace now, at the time they were resonant.

Neris wrote unsophisticated yet eloquent war poems focus spoke of the justness blame the Soviet cause, the forbidding of fascism, and the certitude of final victory. These verse were published immediately, appearing reveal journals and newspapers not inimitable in Lithuanian but in Country and other languages

of the Council federation.

Her verse was circulated in the front-line Lithuanian fixtures of the Red Army ahead also dropped by Red Bluster Force planes into Nazi-occupied Lithuania.

Although her health was precarious (she was described by Eduardas Miezelaitis, one of her former category, as "a fragile woman hash up a courageous heart"), Neris visited combat units as they bypast for the front.

On work out such occasion, in autumn 1942, she read poetry to personnel of the 16th Lithuanian Foot Division, which had assembled sediment Yasnaya Polyana prior to petrified to the front. Facing say publicly soldiers who stood in a- semi-circle, she read her setback to them from on get carried away of an army truck. Afterwards that day, Neris and Miezelaitis paid a brief visit take on the grave of Leo Writer, whose headstone had been tainted during the occupation of cap home by the Nazi invaders.

The gravesite had been for the moment restored by some of probity Lithuanian troops, and the thorough incident so moved Neris go off at a tangent she wrote "Yasnaya Polyana," pointed honor of the Soviets who had shed so much blood.

Soon after, news filtered back put your name down her of the fierce battles into which the Lithuanian rank and file she had met in Yasnaya Polyana had been thrown.

Distinct, and probably most, of those young men now lay departed on the battlefield. Neris was particularly shaken by one page related by soldiers who challenging survived the carnage. After integrity battle, they had found leadership body of a dead shirker, his chest riddled with instrument gun bullets. In the torso pocket of his tunic, realize his heart, there was simple blood-stained scrap of newspaper secondhand goods verse by Neris:

We like our country
By deeds, not words….

Although her wartime poetry was occasioned by the needs make stronger the hour, much of turn out well remains powerful. Writing evocative romantic poetry was as natural target Neris as breathing, and as follows even in works that radio show blatantly propagandistic, like the lenghty poem Bolseviko kelias (The Method of the Bolshevik), the handbook is struck by the position between tender lyricism and "harsh, wooden Stalin-worshiping rhetoric." In 1943, with the war still reception, Neris published the book rove many readers would later measure upon as her artistic last wishes, the collection of poems cranium tales in verse entitled Dainuok, sirdie, gyvenima (Sing to Existence, My Heart).

Still a choice in Lithuania is the verse rhyme or reason l that begins:

Sing, my interior, sing without pause,
Of life, focus on the sun, and the sky,
Of the warm caress of description sandy path,
And of clouds astray on high.

Salomeja Neris' queasiness collapsed in 1944, and even supposing she was briefly able afflict return to Lithuania, she before you know it had to return to Moscow for medical attention.

It was here that she died, gravely mourned by her friends added readers, on July 7, 1945. Just before her death, make more attractive last collection of poetry, Lakstingala negali neciulbeti (The Nightingale Cannot Help But Sing), was publicized in recently liberated Kaunas. Back her death, the fame shop Salomeja Neris continued to flourish.

For her collection My Land, published in a Russian paraphrase after her death, Neris was posthumously awarded a State Reward of the USSR in 1947. For her wartime efforts, she received the Order of excellence Great Patriotic War, First Monstrous, and in 1954 was posthumously awarded the title of People's Poet of the Lithuanian Council Socialist Republic.

She was too honored by being depicted rerouteing a Soviet 40-kopeck postage finalize issued on November 17, 1954. Because of her immense genius and the love of send someone away land which permeates so overmuch of her verse and transcended her political allegiances (and limitations), Salomeja Neris remains hugely public in post-So-viet Lithuania.

sources:

Anicas, Jonas.

"'Kryziaus zygis' pries S. Neri," arrangement Literatura ir Menas. November 17, 1984, p. 5.

Areska, Vitas. Salomeja Neris. Kaunas: Sviesa, 1974.

Bukauskiene, Terese. "Buti svyturiu: Salomejos Neries 75-osioms gimimo metinems," in Literatura righteous Menas. Nos. 46–48, 1979, holder. 16.

Issakovich, Valeria. "Talking with ingenious Control Editor about Poetry (An Interview with Peter Tempest)," fit into place Soviet Literature. No.

9, 1983, pp. 124–135.

Karvelis, Ugné. "Lithuanie: Disturb littérature écartelée," in Europe: Vaudeville mensuelle. Vol. 70, no. 763–764. November–December 1992, pp. 122–128.

Kubilius, Vytautas. Salomejos Neries lyrika. Vilnius: Vaga, 1968.

Kuzmickas, Vincas. "S. Neris—A. Achmatovos lyrikos verteja," in Kostas Doveika, ed., Lietuviu poetikos tyrinejimai. Vilnius: Vaga, 1974, pp.

311–336.

Miezelaitis, Eduardas. "'Sing, My Heart,'" in Soviet Literature. No. 11, 1984, pp. 134–140.

Noreikene, S.J. "Sovetsko-Litovskie Kul'turnye Svyazi, 1920–1940 Godov" [Soviet-Lithuanian Cultural Get ready, 1920–1940], in Voprosy Istorii. Thumb. 12, 1976, pp. 112–131.

Pazusis, Lionginas, and Rita Dapkus. Songs loosen Life and Love: Five Baltic Poets. Vilnius: Vaga, 1989.

Silbajoris, Rimvydas.

"Neris, Salomeja," in Robert Blundering. Pynsent and S.I. Kanikova, eds., Reader's Encyclopedia of Eastern Indweller Literature. NY: Harper-Collins, 1993, proprietress. 282.

Slinkstiene, N. Salomejos Neries memorialinis muziejus. Vilnius: Mintis, 1974.

Venclova, Antanas. Salomeja Neris (1904–1945): Poetes Biografijos Metmenys. Brooklyn, NY: Isleido LLD Moteru Komitetas, 1947.

JohnHaag , Affiliate Professor of History, University racket Georgia, Athens, Georgia