Vesna Parun (; 10 April 1922 – 25 October 2010)
was a
Croatia
, image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg
, anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capit ...
n
poet
A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral or writte ...
.
Biography
After schooling in
Zlarin
Zlarin is a small island off the Dalmatian coast of Croatia near the mainland city of Šibenik. Administratively, it is part of Šibenik-Knin County. In the winter time, the island has a population of 284, but from March to October its population ...
,
Šibenik
Šibenik () is a historic city in Croatia, located in central Dalmatia, where the river Krka flows into the Adriatic Sea. Šibenik is a political, educational, transport, industrial and tourist center of Šibenik-Knin County, and is also the ...
, and
Split
Split(s) or The Split may refer to:
Places
* Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia
* Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay
* Split Island, Falkland Islands
* Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua
Arts, enterta ...
, she studied
Romance languages
The Romance languages, sometimes referred to as Latin languages or Neo-Latin languages, are the various modern languages that evolved from Vulgar Latin. They are the only extant subgroup of the Italic languages in the Indo-European language fam ...
and
philosophy
Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some ...
at the
. From 1947 she was a free artist, writing
poetry
Poetry (derived from the Greek ''poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meanings i ...
,
essay
An essay is, generally, a piece of writing that gives the author's own argument, but the definition is vague, overlapping with those of a letter, a paper, an article, a pamphlet, and a short story. Essays have been sub-classified as formal a ...
s, criticism, and children's literature. She translated works from
Slovene,
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
,
French, and
Bulgarian
Bulgarian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the country of Bulgaria
* Bulgarians, a South Slavic ethnic group
* Bulgarian language, a Slavic language
* Bulgarian alphabet
* A citizen of Bulgaria, see Demographics of Bulgaria
* Bul ...
. Her first book of poetry ''Dawns and Whirlwinds'' (1947) 'contrasts the youthful vibrancy, love and nature with death and the destructive forces of war'.
It received negative reviews from the
socialist-realist critics, who saw it as "
apolitical
Apoliticism is apathy or antipathy towards all political affiliations. A person may be described as apolitical if they are uninterested or uninvolved in politics. Being apolitical can also refer to situations in which people take an unbiased pos ...
" and "
decadent
The word decadence, which at first meant simply "decline" in an abstract sense, is now most often used to refer to a perceived decay in social norm, standards, morality, morals, dignity, religion, religious faith, honor, discipline, or competen ...
",
possibly for not conforming to tendencies to ideologize post-
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
poetry
Poetry (derived from the Greek ''poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meanings i ...
.
Starting with the poetry collection ''Black Olive Tree'' (1955), love was the primary motif of her written opus. Incessantly working on romantic
lyrical poetry
Modern lyric poetry is a formal type of poetry which expresses personal emotions or feelings, typically spoken in the first person.
It is not equivalent to song lyrics, though song lyrics are often in the lyric mode, and it is also ''not'' equi ...
, from the 1960s on, she published
satiric
Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of shaming or ...
verses directed at politics and the
erotic
Eroticism () is a quality that causes sexual feelings, as well as a philosophical contemplation concerning the aesthetics of sexual desire, sensuality, and romantic love. That quality may be found in any form of artwork, including painting, scul ...
. She wrote more than 20 works for children alone, the most prominent and widely performed being ''Mačak Džingiskan i Miki Trasi'' (1968).
She also wrote several
drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...
pieces, including ''Marija i mornar'' (1960).
She is the first woman in Croatia who earned her money solely by being a writer. She published, printed, and illustrated some of her own books.
Selected works
Parun's other significant works include:
* ''Vidrama vjerna'' (1957)
* ''Patka Zlatka'' (1957)
* ''Ti i nikad'' (1959)
* ''Konjanik'' (1961)
* ''Otvorena vrata'' (1968)
* ''Ukleti dažd'' (1969)
* ''Stid me je umrijeti'' (1974)
* ''Igre pred oluju'' (1979)
* ''Šum krila, šum vode'' (1981)
* ''Salto mortale'' (1981)
* ''Pokraj rijeke Kupe kad se vrapci skupe'' (1989)
* ''Nedovršeni mozaik'' (1990)
* ''Ptica vremena'' (1996)
* ''Smijeh od smrti jači'' (1997)
* ''Mozak u torbi'' (2001)
* ''More jadransko'' (2001)
* ''Noć za pakost: moj život u 40 vreća'' (2001)
* ''Da sam brod'' (2002)
* ''Suze putuju'' (2002)
Awards
* 1959 – Poet of the Year Award
* 1982 –
Vladimir Nazor Award
The Vladimir Nazor Award ( hr, Nagrada Vladimir Nazor) is a Croatian prize for arts and culture established in 1959 and awarded every year by the Ministry of Culture.
Named after the writer Vladimir Nazor (1876–1949), the prize is awarded to Cr ...
for the lifetime achievement
* 1995 – ''Poeta Oliveatus'' at the "''
Croatia rediviva: Ča, Kaj, Što – baštinski dani''" festival.
* 2002 – Visoka žuta žita charter at the Poet Meetings in
Drenovci
Drenovci ( hu, Drenóc, german: Drenowitz) is a village and municipality in the Vukovar-Syrmia County in Croatia. The municipality is part of Slavonia.
Population
According to the 2011 census, there are 5,174 inhabitants, in the following se ...
for her overall literary opus and abiding contribution to the Croatian literature
* 2003 –
Tin Ujević Award The Tin Ujević Award ( hr, Nagrada "Tin Ujević") is an award given for contributions to Croatian poetry. It is considered the most prestigious award in Croatia and is named after the poet Tin Ujević.
The award was founded in 1980 and is awarded ...
, for the collection of sonnets ''Suze putuju''
* 2010 – European Award – Knjizevna opstina Vrsac (Literary Municipality of Vrsac)
References
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Parun, Vesna
1922 births
2010 deaths
People from Šibenik
21st-century Croatian poets
Yugoslav writers
Vladimir Nazor Award winners
Croatian children's writers
Croatian women children's writers
Croatian women poets
Yugoslav poets
20th-century Croatian poets
20th-century Croatian women writers
21st-century Croatian women writers