Dušan Vasiljev | |
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| Native name | Душан Васиљев |
| Born | (1900-07-19)July 19, 1900 |
| Died | March 27, 1924(1924-03-27) (aged 23) |
| Occupation | poet,playwright |
| Nationality | Yugoslavian |
| Genre | poetry |
| Literary movement | expressionism |
Dušan Vasiljev (Serbian Cyrillic:Душан Васиљев; 19 July 1900 – 27 March 1924) was aSerbian-Yugoslavianpoet,novelist andplaywright. He was one of the most significantexpressionists inSerbian literature.
Vasiljev was born on 19 July 1900 inVelika Kikinda in theBanat region, then part of theAustro-Hungarian Empire, now part ofSerbia.[1] His mother, Rakila, was fromPerlez in and his father's name was Kosta. Dušan had two sisters, Aleksandra and Jelena, and a brother, Spasoje.[1] His mother died in 1904 and his father remarried.[1] This marriage produced another five children, three of which died at childbirth.[1]
Dušan attended primary school in his hometown ofKikinda, and secondary school inTemišvar, where his family moved in 1911.[1]
The outbreak ofWorld War I saw his father mobilised to the front, leaving Dušan to care for his siblings. He attended Teachers' College and worked as a clerk at the same time, and in 1917 he too joined the army. He was mobilised in 1918 and sent to the front atPiave (river), along the battlefront between Austria-Hungary andItaly. He returned home exhausted and suffering from symptoms of malaria and bronchitis. On his return to Temišvar he continued working for the Serbian army as a clerk and interpreter.
He founded the literary group"Kolo mladih Srba" ("The Circle of Young Serbs") and the journal"Sloga" ("Unity"). When the Serbian army left Temišvar, Dušan moved toBelgrade. He enrolled into theUniversity of BelgradeFaculty of Philosophy and began contributing to various literary journals including"Sloga" and"Dan" ("Day"). Before he had to abandon his studies he completed a course in pedagogy and, in 1920, moved toCenei to work as a teacher until 1923.[2] In the same year he married Milijka Maletić.
He was called again to the army in 1921 toKratovo, but was sent home the same year on grounds of poor health. He spent his time in Cenei reading and writing, but his condition worsened. He went toZagreb to attempt treatment, but was advised to return the following spring.
He died on 27 March 1924 in Kikinda, his birthplace.[2]
Dušan Vasiljev's dark and paradoxical view of the world and his particular understanding of the human condition were influenced by many factors. These include his tragic experience of World War I and its aftermath; Kikinda and Temišvar, the towns where he grew up and was educated; and his social background, to name a few.[citation needed]
World War I pushed many contemporary artists to adopt extremist viewpoints. The apocalyptic and dramatic visions, the denial of reality, the loss of trust towards one's fellow man, in his historical responsibility, scepticism towards knowledge, towards the expansion of technology and industry, towards modern forms of society, the pursuit of new worlds and new values, all contributed to an ambivalent and complex new situation.[citation needed]
As a poet, Vasiljev came to prominence with his poemČovek peva posle rata ("A Man Sings After the War"), published in the journalMisao ("Thought") in 1920 to critical acclaim. This work expressed the spiritual mood of the young people who, returning from a catastrophic war, had to reconcile their terrible experience with the need to integrate back into the mundane everyday life. Pessimism is characteristic of the lyrics of Vasiljev, also known as "the poet of revolt."[citation needed]
During his lifetime Dušan Vasiljev did not manage to publish a book of his poetry. He wrote around 300 poems, about 20 novels, and four plays. The two preserved plays by Dušan Vasiljev are characterized by the opening of poet's intimate world and moulding of his experience into the dramatic form. In his plays Vasiljev deals with problems of marriage, married bliss, fidelity and infidelity. The majority of hisoeuvre can be found in theNational Library of Serbia in Belgrade.[citation needed]
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