Jan Kal
Encyclopedia
Johannes Pieter "Jan" Kal icon (born December 18, 1946, in Haarlem
) is a Dutch
poet
. He lives in Amsterdam
. Along with others, such as Gerrit Komrij
, Jan Kuijper, and Jean-Pierre Rawie, he helped revive the sonnet
in Dutch literature, and substantially all of Kal's work is in sonnet form. His earliest published work is dated 1966, and his first volume of sonnets, Fietsen op de Mont Ventoux
("Cycling up Mont Ventoux") was published in 1974. His range of styles and subjects is wide, including love poetry, religious poems, and occasional poetry
(notably celebrating sportsmen Ard Schenk
, Joop Zoetemelk
and Johan Cruijff
). His poetry tends to humorous irony
as well as, at times, melancholy
. To English-speaking readers who understand a little Dutch, perhaps his most accessible poems are his many sonnet versions of American popular songs, including those of Buddy Holly
, Bob Dylan
and his favourite, Frank Sinatra
.
In 2007, Kal appeared at the Crossing Border
festival of literature and music in The Hague
.
Haarlem
Haarlem is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of North Holland, the northern half of Holland, which at one time was the most powerful of the seven provinces of the Dutch Republic...
) is a Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
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...
. He lives in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
. Along with others, such as Gerrit Komrij
Gerrit Komrij
Gerrit Jan Komrij is a Dutch poet, novelist, translator, critic, polemic journalist and playwright. From 2000 to 2004 he was the Dutch Dichter des Vaderlands .-Biography:...
, Jan Kuijper, and Jean-Pierre Rawie, he helped revive the sonnet
Sonnet
A sonnet is one of several forms of poetry that originate in Europe, mainly Provence and Italy. A sonnet commonly has 14 lines. The term "sonnet" derives from the Occitan word sonet and the Italian word sonetto, both meaning "little song" or "little sound"...
in Dutch literature, and substantially all of Kal's work is in sonnet form. His earliest published work is dated 1966, and his first volume of sonnets, Fietsen op de Mont Ventoux
Mont Ventoux
Mont Ventoux is a mountain in the Provence region of southern France, located some 20 km northeast of Carpentras, Vaucluse. On the north side, the mountain borders the Drôme département. It is the largest mountain in the region and has been nicknamed the "Giant of Provence", or "The Bald...
("Cycling up Mont Ventoux") was published in 1974. His range of styles and subjects is wide, including love poetry, religious poems, and occasional poetry
Occasional poetry
Occasional poetry is poetry composed for a particular occasion. In the history of literature, it is often studied in connection with orality, performance, and patronage. As a term of literary criticism, "occasional poetry" describes the work's purpose and the poet's relation to subject matter...
(notably celebrating sportsmen Ard Schenk
Ard Schenk
Adrianus "Ard" Schenk is a former speed skater from the Netherlands, who is considered to be one of the best in history. His first Olympic success came in 1968, when he won a silver medal at the 1968 Winter Olympics. Between 1970 and 1972 Winter Olympics, Schenk won three consecutive World...
, Joop Zoetemelk
Joop Zoetemelk
Hendrik Gerardus Jozef "Joop" Zoetemelk is a retired professional racing cyclist from the Netherlands who has emigrated to France. He started the Tour de France 16 times and finished every time, a record. He won the race in 1980 and also came eighth, fifth, fourth and second...
and Johan Cruijff
Johan Cruyff
Hendrik Johannes Cruijff OON , known as Johan Cruyff, is a retired Dutch footballer and is currently the manager of the Catalan national team as well as a member of the AFC Ajax board of directors. He won the Ballon d'Or three times, in 1971, 1973 and 1974, which is a record jointly held with...
). His poetry tends to humorous irony
Irony
Irony is a rhetorical device, literary technique, or situation in which there is a sharp incongruity or discordance that goes beyond the simple and evident intention of words or actions...
as well as, at times, melancholy
Melancholia
Melancholia , also lugubriousness, from the Latin lugere, to mourn; moroseness, from the Latin morosus, self-willed, fastidious habit; wistfulness, from old English wist: intent, or saturnine, , in contemporary usage, is a mood disorder of non-specific depression,...
. To English-speaking readers who understand a little Dutch, perhaps his most accessible poems are his many sonnet versions of American popular songs, including those of Buddy Holly
Buddy Holly
Charles Hardin Holley , known professionally as Buddy Holly, was an American singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll...
, Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
and his favourite, Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
.
In 2007, Kal appeared at the Crossing Border
Crossing Border Festival
Crossing Border Festival is an annual festival in The Hague, Netherlands focusing on new pop music acts and literature. The first edition took place in 1993. The festival was once held in Amsterdam, but afterwards shifted back to The Hague.-1993:...
festival of literature and music in The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
.
Volumes of sonnets
There are no translations of Jan Kal's poetry in English yet.- Fietsen op de Mont Ventoux, 1974 (Cycling up Mont Ventoux)
- Praktijk hervat, 1978 (Practice reopened)
- December, 1979
- Waarom ik geen Neerlandistiek studeer, 1980 (Why I'm not studying Dutch studies)
- Assepoester (1981) (The CinderellaCinderella"Cinderella; or, The Little Glass Slipper" is a folk tale embodying a myth-element of unjust oppression/triumphant reward. Thousands of variants are known throughout the world. The title character is a young woman living in unfortunate circumstances that are suddenly changed to remarkable fortune...
story retold in 39 sonnets, illustrated by Irene Wolfferts) - Chinese sonnetten (1984)
- Amsterdam, Halfweg 1987, 1989 (Amsterdam, Half way, an ambiguous title since an Amsterdam suburb is called Halfweg)
- Mijn manier – 144 Sinatra-sonnetten (1990) (My Way. Translations of Sinatra songs in sonnet form)
- 100 doortimmerde sonnetten uit 25 jaren, 1966-1990, 1991 (100 well-crafted sonnets)
- Oprechte Haarlemse sonnetten en tekeningen, 1992 (True sonnets and drawings from Haarlem. The title is an allusion to a former Haarlem newspaper, the Oprechte Haerlemsche Courant)
- Het schrijvershuis, 1995 (The House of Writers)
- 1000 sonnetten, 1966-1996, 1997
- Laat ons leven en minnen, 2000 (Let us live and make love. Love poems translated from the LatinLatinLatin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
of CatullusCatullusGaius Valerius Catullus was a Latin poet of the Republican period. His surviving works are still read widely, and continue to influence poetry and other forms of art.-Biography:...
) - Hun zeggen, 2007 ("Them" say)