Gregor Strniša
Encyclopedia
Gregor Strniša was a Slovenia
n poet
, playwright
, and songwriter
. He is considered as one of the most important Slovene language poet of the second half of the 20th century. He spent most of his life away from public light, and has gained widespread recognition only after his death.
, Slovenia
, then part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
. He attended the Classical Grammar School of Ljubljana. In 1949, he was arrested by the Communist authorities on charges of organizing an underground anti-Communist opposition and of revealing state secrets. He was sentenced to four years in prison, but was released after two years on probation.
In 1952, he enrolled at the University of Ljubljana
, where he studied German and English language and literature. He also attended classes in ancient languages and learned Hebrew, and the grounds of Sumerian
and Akkadian language
. He was one of the co-founders of the alternative journal Revija 57, and entered the circle known as the Critical generation, composed of young Slovene intellectuals who challenged the rigid cultural policies of the Titoist regime. After graduation in 1961, he mostly made his living as a songwriter. He wrote the texts of several Slovenian pop songs, but always considered this job a humiliation.
In 1963, he met the young poet Svetlana Makarovič
, with whom he had a short romantic relationship. In 1970 he met Thea Skinder. They got married in 1974 and have one daughter.
Strniša was known for never having moved from his native Ljubljana, except for a few short trips across Yugoslavia. In 1985, he was granted the Fullbright scholarship to travel to the USA, but decided to stay in Slovenia. In 1986, he received the Prešeren Award
, the highest prize for literary achievements in Slovenia.
He died in Ljubljana in 1987, and was buried in the Žale
cemetery.
directed against the anthropocentrism of traditional literature. His poems are an exploration of multiple universes, interconnected through a mysterious and magical fate, which man can grasp through imagination and intuition.
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
n poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
, and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
. He is considered as one of the most important Slovene language poet of the second half of the 20th century. He spent most of his life away from public light, and has gained widespread recognition only after his death.
Biography
Strniša was born in LjubljanaLjubljana
Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and its largest city. It is the centre of the City Municipality of Ljubljana. It is located in the centre of the country in the Ljubljana Basin, and is a mid-sized city of some 270,000 inhabitants...
, Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
, then part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a state stretching from the Western Balkans to Central Europe which existed during the often-tumultuous interwar era of 1918–1941...
. He attended the Classical Grammar School of Ljubljana. In 1949, he was arrested by the Communist authorities on charges of organizing an underground anti-Communist opposition and of revealing state secrets. He was sentenced to four years in prison, but was released after two years on probation.
In 1952, he enrolled at the University of Ljubljana
University of Ljubljana
The University of Ljubljana is the oldest and largest university in Slovenia. With 64,000 enrolled graduate and postgraduate students, it is among the largest universities in Europe.-Beginnings:...
, where he studied German and English language and literature. He also attended classes in ancient languages and learned Hebrew, and the grounds of Sumerian
Sumerian language
Sumerian is the language of ancient Sumer, which was spoken in southern Mesopotamia since at least the 4th millennium BC. During the 3rd millennium BC, there developed a very intimate cultural symbiosis between the Sumerians and the Akkadians, which included widespread bilingualism...
and Akkadian language
Akkadian language
Akkadian is an extinct Semitic language that was spoken in ancient Mesopotamia. The earliest attested Semitic language, it used the cuneiform writing system derived ultimately from ancient Sumerian, an unrelated language isolate...
. He was one of the co-founders of the alternative journal Revija 57, and entered the circle known as the Critical generation, composed of young Slovene intellectuals who challenged the rigid cultural policies of the Titoist regime. After graduation in 1961, he mostly made his living as a songwriter. He wrote the texts of several Slovenian pop songs, but always considered this job a humiliation.
In 1963, he met the young poet Svetlana Makarovič
Svetlana Makarovič
Svetlana Makarovič is a Slovenian writer of prose, poetry, children's books, and picture books, and is also an actress, illustrator and chanteuse .She has been called "The First Lady of Slovenian poetry." She is also noted for borrowing from Slovenian folklore to tell stories of rebellious and...
, with whom he had a short romantic relationship. In 1970 he met Thea Skinder. They got married in 1974 and have one daughter.
Strniša was known for never having moved from his native Ljubljana, except for a few short trips across Yugoslavia. In 1985, he was granted the Fullbright scholarship to travel to the USA, but decided to stay in Slovenia. In 1986, he received the Prešeren Award
Prešeren Award
Prešeren Award is the highest decoration in the field of artistic and in the past also scientific creation in Slovenia awarded each year to one or two eminent Slovene artists...
, the highest prize for literary achievements in Slovenia.
He died in Ljubljana in 1987, and was buried in the Žale
Žale
Žale Central cemetery , often abbreviated to Žale, is the largest and the central cemetery in Ljubljana. It is located in the Bežigrad district and operated by the Žale Public Company.- History :...
cemetery.
Work
Strniša is most renowned for his poetry, based on a highly metaphysical poetic view. His poems express a cosmogonyCosmogony
Cosmogony, or cosmogeny, is any scientific theory concerning the coming into existence or origin of the universe, or about how reality came to be. The word comes from the Greek κοσμογονία , from κόσμος "cosmos, the world", and the root of γίνομαι / γέγονα "to be born, come about"...
directed against the anthropocentrism of traditional literature. His poems are an exploration of multiple universes, interconnected through a mysterious and magical fate, which man can grasp through imagination and intuition.