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Jan Nepomuk Neruda (Czech: jan ˈnɛpomuk ˈnɛruda 9 July 1834 – 22 August 1891) was a Czech journalist, writer, poet and art critic; one of the most prominent representatives of Czech Realism and a member of the " May School".


Early life

Jan Neruda was born in
Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...
, Bohemia; son of a small grocer who lived in the Malá Strana district. Initially, they lived on Újezd Street and later, when he was four, moved to Ostruhová Street (now called , in his honor), where they owned a house known as “U Dvou Slunců” (At the Two Suns). His studies began in 1845 at the local Grammar school then, in 1850, continued at the Academic Grammar School in Clementinum. His favourite writers at the time were Heine, Byron, Shakespeare, Karel Hynek Mácha and
Václav Bolemír Nebeský Václav Bolemír Nebeský (18 August 1818 – 17 August 1882) was a Czech poet active during Czech National Revival. Biography Václav Bolemír Nebeský was born at the Nový Dvůr estate in the neighbourhood of Kokořín. He went to high schoo ...
. After graduation he tried to study law, but he failed. He worked as a clerk for a short time, but was unhappy, so he decided to study philosophy and
philology Philology () is the study of language in oral and written historical sources; it is the intersection of textual criticism, literary criticism, history, and linguistics (with especially strong ties to etymology). Philology is also defined as ...
at Charles University. He then worked as a teacher until 1860, when he became a freelance journalist and writer. He started his career at ''
Národní listy ''Národní listy'' ("The National Newspaper") was a Czech newspaper published in Prague from 1861 to 1941. History The decision to start ''Národni listy'' began in September 1860. The first issue of the newspaper was first published in Janua ...
'' (National Sheets). Later, he worked for ''Obrazy života'' (Pictures of Life) and ' (Time). He also contributed to ' (Blossoms) and ''
Lumír ''Lumír'' is a weekly literary magazine that was established in 1851 by Ferdinand Břetislav Mikovec. It was the focal point of the neo-romantic nationalist poet Jaroslav Vrchlický and his Ossianic followers.Arne Novák & William Edward Ha ...
''. He became the de facto leader of a generation of writers that included Karolina Světlá, Vítězslav Hálek,
Adolf Heyduk Adolf Heyduk (6 June 1835 – 6 February 1923) was a distinguished Czech poet and writer. Many of his poems were later set to music by Antonín Dvořák. The best known and most widely performed is the poignant and tender Songs My Mother Taught Me ...
and Karel Sabina; devoted to continuing the legacy of Karel Hynek Mácha. They published their works in the literary almanac '' Máj''. By 1871, various groups had labeled Neruda as a "Traitor to the Nation", so he decided to spend some time away; visiting
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
,
Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders wit ...
, France,
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...
,
Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croa ...
and
Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Med ...
. He kept detailed records of these journeys, which provide an interesting testimony to his life and times, with various insights that prove him to be a good observer. From 1883 to his death he lived on Vladislavova Street, 1382/14 in Nové Město, Prague.


Personal life

Neruda was a loner and an introvert, although he was a friend of composer
Bedřich Smetana Bedřich Smetana ( , ; 2 March 1824 – 12 May 1884) was a Czech composer who pioneered the development of a musical style that became closely identified with his people's aspirations to a cultural and political "revival." He has been regarded i ...
. Neruda never married, but he had close relationships with Anna Holinová and
Karolína Světlá Karolina may refer to: People *Karolina (name) *Karolina (singer), singer/songwriter from Eilat, Israel Places *Karolina, Łódź Voivodeship (central Poland) *Karolina, Grodzisk Mazowiecki County in Masovian Voivodeship (east-central Poland) *Kar ...
. Holinová was his first love. Many of his poems were meant for her. Through her father, Neruda was able to meet Božena Němcová and Karel Jaromír Erben, famous Czech nationalist writers. His second love was Světlá, a married woman who was also a writer. They supported each other emotionally with their works. She also supported him financially. When he found himself deeply in debt, she sold a precious brooch and lent him the money. Unfortunately her husband, , found out about it and forced him to give up the relationship. He also had to give him all the letters they had written to each other. These letters became the source for the movie called ''Příběh lásky a cti'' (The Story of Love and Honor). Throughout his life, the poet had been in material need, although he was an extremely prolific and respected journalist. Once a week, for example, he wrote a column for the National Papers, worked as a theater officer and literary critic, and edited several popular science journals. He had a close relationship with his mother. Her death in 1869 greatly affected him and brought a sadder tone to his works.


Career

In his work, Neruda supported the Czech National Revival and promoted Czech nationalism. He participated in all the central cultural and political struggles of his generation, and gained a reputation as a sensitive critic. Neruda became, along with Vítězslav Hálek, one of the most prominent representatives of the new literary trends.


Death

Beginning in 1880, he suffered from a swelling of his veins, which contributed to a number of diseases that afflicted him for the rest of his life. In the winter of 1888, he shattered his kneecap when he slipped on some ice. From that time on, he relied on messengers to deliver his articles to ''
Národní listy ''Národní listy'' ("The National Newspaper") was a Czech newspaper published in Prague from 1861 to 1941. History The decision to start ''Národni listy'' began in September 1860. The first issue of the newspaper was first published in Janua ...
''. He died on August 22, 1891, from an inflammation of his digestive tract caused by intestinal cancer. He was buried at Vyšehrad Cemetery in Prague. His funeral became the occasion for an expression of Czech nationalist sentiment.


Works


Poetry

*'' Hřbitovní kvítí'' (“Graveyard Flowers”) - His first poetry. It was published in 1858. The entire book is pessimistic, skeptical and hopeless. Verses are growing out of disappointment with contemporary life, societies, the inactivity of the Nation, resistance of the set morality. There is also a social issue, dealing with poverty. He does not trust love or people. Feelings of loneliness, fervor. *'' Knihy veršů'' (“Books of Verses”) - published in 1867. He moderates his pessimism, finds the point of his life - at work and sacrifice to the whole
Nation A nation is a community of people formed on the basis of a combination of shared features such as language, history, ethnicity, culture and/or society. A nation is thus the collective identity of a group of people understood as defined by those ...
. It shows love for his parents.This book is much more readable than other books, the poems are of good quality. Even here we find his gloomy social
ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or '' ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...
s. This book consists of three parts: 1. Kniha veršů výpravných (“Book of Narrative Verses”), 2. Kniha veršů lyrických a smíšených (“Book of Lyrical and Mixed Verses”) 3. Kniha veršů časových a příležitostných (“Book of Time and Occasional Verses”). *'' Písně kosmické'' (“Cosmic songs”) - published in 1878. In this books he is again discovering the meaning of his life, trying to be optimistic, responding to the development of science and technology. It celebrates cosmic bodies and human desire for knowledge. There is a materialistic understanding of the world. This work expresses feelings of the Generation called
Májovci The ''Májovci'' ("''May'' School") were a significant group of Czech novelists and poets of the second half of the 19th century, who were inspired by the work of Karel Hynek Mácha, Karel Havlíček Borovský and Karel Jaromír Erben. After the ...
. *''
Balady a romance Balady or Baladi (بلدي) is an Arabic word meaning "native" or "local." It may refer to: * Eish Baladi or Aish Balady, rustic Egyptian flatbread similar to pita * Baladi cheese, a Middle Eastern feta * Balady citron, a variety of citron in Is ...
'' ("Ballads and Romances)" - published between 1878 and 1883. He confuses ballads with romances so that they often sound like the opposites. The ballads often process national themes from the
Bible The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts o ...
or old legends, and the subject of mother-son relationships appears. Some of the favourite ballads or romances are for example
Romance štědrovečerní Romance (from Vulgar Latin , "in the Roman language", i.e., "Latin") may refer to: Common meanings * Romance (love), emotional attraction towards another person and the courtship behaviors undertaken to express the feelings * Romance languages, ...
(“Christmas Romance”),
Romance o Karlu IV. Romance (from Vulgar Latin , "in the Roman language", i.e., "Latin") may refer to: Common meanings * Romance (love), emotional attraction towards another person and the courtship behaviors undertaken to express the feelings * Romance languages ...
(“Romance about Charles IV.”), Balada česká (“Czech Ballad”) or Balada o duši K. H. Borovského (“Ballad about the soul of K. H. Borovský”). *'' Prosté motivy'' ("Plain Themes / Simple Motifs") - published in 1883. This is his intimate diary. Natural theme is really important here. The human life coincides with a cycle of seasons. Spring = youth, summer = maturity, autumn = old age,
winter Winter is the coldest season of the year in Polar regions of Earth, polar and temperate climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring (season), spring. The tilt of Axial tilt#Earth, Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a Hemi ...
= death. He describes this period. *'' Zpěvy páteční'' ("Friday Songs") - published in 1896. This is his top work. This book came out after his death, prepared by
Jaroslav Vrchlický Jaroslav Vrchlický (; 17 February 1853 – 9 September 1912) was a Czech lyrical poet. He was nominated for the Nobel prize in literature eight times. Life He was born Emilius Jakob Frida in Louny. He lived ten years with his uncle, a ...
. The life of the nation is compared to the Great Fate, showing the belief that the resurrection will come. It speaks of great love for the nation and reflects on national history - it turns to Hussitism. Parts of this book are V zemi kalichu (“In the country of the cup”), Anděl strážný (“Guardian angel”), Ecce homo and Láska (“Love”).


Prose

*''Arabesky'' - This is his first book of prose, published in 1864. This is a set of short stories, whose core consists of stories from the late 1850s and early 1860s. In the forefront of these short stories there is no plot, but descriptive characteristics, reflection and dialogue. Significant is humor, irony, sarcasm. In the foreground there are peculiar figurines that are captured in contrast to the environment they are included in. These are people from the periphery that society has eliminated. Neruda uncovers their sad and tragic moments, presenting them as full-fledged, emotionally rich. This puts them in opposition to prejudice and a time of conventional view. Neruda uses his own experiences and familiar environments, gives readers only cuts from the lives of characters. Stories Měla Gusto! and Za půl hodiny (“Within half an hour”) when sexual and erotic motifs appear at that time, they were added after Neruda's death. *'' Různí lidé'' (“Different People”) - Studies and pictures of the nature and fate of the people he met abroad. *''Trhani'' - A novel about railroad workers. *'' Pražské obrázky'' (“Pictures of Prague”) - This book captures the lives of the poor. *'' Povídky malostránské'' (“Tales of the Lesser Quarter”) - This is his best-known prose work, published in 1877. He created the picture of Prague's Lesser Quarter before 1848 on the basis of his own memories. Neruda's stories take the reader to its streets and yards, shops, churches, houses, and restaurants. It shows typical figures of Czech Bourgeoisie. With humor depicting their qualities, he criticizes local life. It uses the form of a novelistically integrated story, sometimes its narrative consists of a series of tiny shots of everyday life. Heroes are precisely characterized, each with a different expression. It was translated into English in 1957 by the novelist and mystery writer Ellis Peters. *'' Praha'' (“Prague”)


Theatre plays

*'' Ženich z hladu'' (“Groom from hunger”) *'' Prodaná láska'' (“Sold love”) *'' Merenda nestřídmých'' *''
Francesca di Rimini Francesca da Rimini or Francesca da Polenta (died between 1283 and 1286) was a medieval noblewoman of Ravenna, who was murdered by her husband, Giovanni Malatesta, upon his discovery of her affair with his brother, Paolo Malatesta. She was a co ...
'' *'' Žena miluje srdnatost'' *'' Já to nejsem'' (“It’s not me”)


Feuilletons

*'' Žerty hravé a dravé'' (“Playful and predatory jokes”) *'' Studie krátké a kratší'' (“Short and shorter studies”) *'' Menší cesty'' (“Smaller trips”) *'' Obrazy z ciziny'' (“Pictures from abroad”)


Journalism

*'' Obrazy z ciziny'' (“Pictures from abroad”) *'' Rodinná kronika'' (“Family chronicle”)


Legacy

*After his death, Ostruhová Street, which was the setting for many of his stories, was renamed in his honor. *The
Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the eas ...
an poet, Ricardo Eliecer Neftalí Reyes Basoalto, adopted the pseudonym Pablo Neruda, to express his admiration. * Andrew J. Feustel took a copy of ''Cosmic Songs'' with him on space shuttle mission STS-125. * Jan Neruda Grammar School is named for him. *
Statue of Jan Neruda, Prague The statue of a Czech poet and publicist Jan Neruda ( cs, Socha Jana Nerudy) is an outdoor 1970 sculpture by Jan Simota and Karel Lapka, installed at Petřín, Malá Strana in Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is t ...
*
1875 Neruda Events January–March * January 1 – The Midland Railway of England abolishes the Second Class passenger category, leaving First Class and Third Class. Other British railway companies follow Midland's lead during the rest of the ...
(1969 QQ), a main-belt asteroid discovered in 1969 by Luboš Kohoutek is named in his honor.


References


External links

* * * * Jan Neruda at Wikipedia (Czech) {{DEFAULTSORT:Neruda, Jan 1834 births 1891 deaths Writers from Prague People from the Kingdom of Bohemia Czech humorists Czech journalists Czech poets Czech male poets 19th-century Czech musicians 19th-century journalists Male journalists 19th-century poets 19th-century Czech writers Burials at Vyšehrad Cemetery