Serbian poetry (Serbian:Srpsko pesništvo, Srpska poezija) includes all poetry written inSerbian, starting from theMiddle Ages until present day.
In the Middle Ages, songs (hymns), includingelegies, and services, were written dedicated to Serbian saints. Notable medieval Serbian poets include princessJefimija (1349–1405), princessMilica (1335–1405), monkSiluan (14th c.),[1] noblemanDimitrije Kantakuzin (1435–1487).
Serbian epic poetry is a form ofepic poetry created bySerbs originating in today'sSerbia,Bosnia and Herzegovina,Croatia,North Macedonia andMontenegro. The main cycles were composed by unknown Serb authors between the 14th and 19th centuries. They are largely concerned with historical events and characters and personages. The instrument in performing the Serbian epic is theGusle.
Modernist tendencies in Serbian poetry can be traced back to earlyRealist writings in the 19th century. Lasting until the end of theFirst World War, it is often referred to as the “Golden age of Serbian literature“.Serbian modernist poets were influenced byFrench Literature.
Contemporary Serbian poetry includes works written since the end of theSecond World War until present day. Early contemporary literature was under heavy influence of theCommunist ideology. After theTito–Stalin split, poets returned to their unique writing styles. The last decades of the 20th century were marked by darker, more pessimistic motives coming from theongoing crises in Yugoslavia, but also the modern world as a whole.[2]
