Jovan Jovanović Zmaj Јован Јовановић Змај | |
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| Born | Jovan Jovanović 24 November 1833 |
| Died | 1 June 1904(1904-06-01) (aged 70) |
| Pen name | Zmaj |
| Nationality | Serbian |
| Notable works | Đulići,Đulići uveoci,Pevanija,Druga pevanija |
| Spouse | Ruža Ličanin |
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Jovan Jovanović Zmaj (Serbian Cyrillic:Јован Јовановић Змаj, pronounced[jɔ̌v̞anjɔv̞ǎːnɔv̞it͡ɕzmâj]; 24 November 1833 – 1 June 1904) was aSerbian poet, translator and physician.
Jovanović worked as a physician; he wrote in many poetry genres, includinglove,lyric, patriotic,political, and youth, but he remains best known for hischildren's poetry. Hisnursery rhymes have entered the Serbian national consciousness and people sing them to their children without knowing who wrote them. Jovanović also translated the works of some of the great poets, such as RussiansLermontov andPushkin, GermansGoethe andHeine, and the AmericanLongfellow.
Jovanović's nicknameZmaj orЗмај (dragon) derives from the3 May 1848 assembly.[a]
Zmaj was born inÚjvidék, which was then part ofBács-Bodrog County (Kingdom of Hungary,Austrian Empire; today Novi Sad inSerbia), on 24 November 1833. His family was old and noble, and had roots in modern-dayNorth Macedonia.[2] His father came from a family ofAromanian descent, which is something that neither Zmaj nor other people from his epoch discussed, probably meaning that his family was fullyassimilated.[3] His mother, Marija, hailed from a distinguished Serb family, descended from the town ofSrbobran, and was the daughter of Pavle Gavanski.[4] The Jovanovićs lived inVojvodina as of the 18th century.[2] Zmaj's father Pavle served as the mayor of Novi Sad after theHungarian Revolution of 1848 and his three brothers were soldiers, government officials and Serbian patriots.[2][5] In his early childhood he showed a desire to learn by heart theSerbian national songs that were recited to him. As a child he began to compose poems. He finished elementary school in the town, and attended secondary school inHalas andPreßburg (todayBratislava), later studying law inOfenpesth (Budapest),Prague andVienna.[2] This was his father's wish but his own inclinations prompted him to take up the study of medicine. Zmaj then returned to his native city, where he accepted prominent official position. A year later, his poetic instincts caused him to leave his job to devote himself entirely to literary work. In 1870, Zmaj returned to Novi Sad to work as a doctor, motivated by thetuberculosis from which his wife and children were suffering.[2]
His literary career began in 1849 and in 1852 his first poem was printed in a journal calledSrbski Letopis (Serbian Annual Review); he contributed to this and to other journals, notablyNeven andSedmica.[2] From that period until 1870, besides his original poems, he made many translations of works bySándor Petőfi andJános Arany toSerbian fromHungarian, fromRussian the works ofLermontov, as well as some German and Austrian poets.[2] In 1861 he edited the comic journalKomarac (The Mosquito), with Đorđe Rajković. That same year he started the literary journalJavor and contributed many poems to these journals.[2]
In 1861, Zmaj married; during the years that followed he produced a series of lyrical poems calledĐulići, which probably remains his masterpiece.[2][6][1] In 1862, greatly to his regret, he discontinued his journalJavor. He was politically engaged and sympathized with the ideas of theUnited Serbian Youth, a movement that attracted a number of influential figures in Serbian public life in the 1860s and 1870s.[2]
In 1863, Zmaj was elected director of theTekelianum atBudapest.[2] He renewed the study of medicine at the university and became adoctor of medicine. Zmaj wrote a lot of articles on hygiene, health and diet, and several scientific works.[1] He also devoted himself to the education of Serbian youth. During his stay in Budapest he founded the literary societyPreodnica, of which he was president. In 1864 he started the satirical journal "Zmaj" ("The Dragon"), which was so popular its name became a part of his own. In 1866, his comic play "Šaran" was given with great success.[2]
In 1870, he began working as a physician. He was also an active advocate ofcremation.[2]Matica Srpska, the Serbian Medical Society andSerbian Literary Guild made Zmaj a full member.[1]
The death of his wife in 1872 was followed by that of the couple's only child who outlived her mother, out of his five children.[2] He was very sad and wrote many sad poems. In 1873 he started another comic journal, theŽiža.[2] In 1877 he began an illustrated chronicle of theRusso-Turkish War, and in 1878 began his popular comic journalStarmali.[7] During this period he wrote poems and prose, including short novels.
He considered that the Serbian nation should be above the religious divide.[3]
Zmaj died on 1 June 1904 inKamánc (today Sremska Kamenica, part of Novi Sad, Serbia).[6]
Zmaj wrote lyrical songs under the collective titlesĐulići (Little Rosebuds) andĐulići Uveoci (Faded Little Rosebuds), his most-creative work.[7] He wrote six large volumes of hisPevanija (The Book of Songs), and several smaller collections includingsatires,epigrams, and children's songs. His work was published in the United States byRobert Underwood Johnson, who was editor and publisher of New York City'sCentury Magazine and a good friend ofNikola Tesla.[8] Tesla himself translated some poems by Zmaj.[8] In the following we have the poet's definition of poetry:
Where is Pain and dire Distress,
Songs shall soothe like soft caress;
Though the stoutest courage fails,
Song's an anchor in all gales;
When all others fail to reach,
Song shall be the thrilling speech;
Love and friends and comfort fled,
Song shall linger by your bed;
And when Doubt shall question, Why?
Song shall lift you to the sky.
Zmaj is best known for his poetry for children and was one of the first authors of comic strips in Serbia.[9]
TheZmaj Children Games (Змајеве дечје игре/Zmajeve dečje igre), one of the biggest festivals for children in Serbia, are named after Jovan Jovanović Zmaj. The town ofSremska Kamenica bore the name Zmajeva Kamenica (Zmaj's Kamenica) in his honour. He is included in lists ofThe 100 most prominent Serbs. During his lifetime, Zmaj had acquired the title of the "people's poet", an expression of esteem also befitting the title ofPoet laureate.[10]
August Šenoa wrote highly of his poetry.[11] Literary historian Jovan Deretić considered Zmaj to be one of the central figures of Serbian Romanticism and Serbian literature of the second half of the 19th century. Deretić praised his poems, translations and satirical works.[6]
Children's poetry written by Zmaj is still popular in Serbia and the widerBalkans region.[12]
Source:[7]
