Slavic antithesis
Encyclopedia
The Slavic antithesis is a stylistic device
used in traditional Slavic
(especial Serbian
) epic poetry
. It is usually implemented at the beginning of the poem and consists of three parts: a question is asked, then a negative answer is given, and finally the real explanation is provided. The first two parts of the Slavic antithesis are usually similar, while the last verse (the explanation) differs. The first two parts (a question and a negative answer) are descriptive and are simply there to increase the power of the third part (the explanation). Many poems use the same descriptive lines while only changing the last line.
":
English translation:
The final line is explanatory and supported by the previous descriptive lines, which give it impact on the audience. However, in other poems the descriptive sound of the first three lines (similar to waves breaking on seashores or earthquakes) may speak of the hoof-beats of the hero's horse, the clash of armies or the power of God.
Stylistic device
In literature and writing, Stylistic Elements are the use of any of a variety of techniques to give an auxiliary meaning, idea, or feeling to the literal or written.- Figurative language :...
used in traditional Slavic
Slavic peoples
The Slavic people are an Indo-European panethnicity living in Eastern Europe, Southeast Europe, North Asia and Central Asia. The term Slavic represents a broad ethno-linguistic group of people, who speak languages belonging to the Slavic language family and share, to varying degrees, certain...
(especial Serbian
Serbian epic poetry
Serb epic poetry is a form of epic poetry written by Serbs originating in today's Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia and Montenegro. The main cycles were composed by unknown Serb authors between the 14th and 19th centuries...
) epic poetry
Epic poetry
An epic is a lengthy narrative poem, ordinarily concerning a serious subject containing details of heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation. Oral poetry may qualify as an epic, and Albert Lord and Milman Parry have argued that classical epics were fundamentally an oral poetic form...
. It is usually implemented at the beginning of the poem and consists of three parts: a question is asked, then a negative answer is given, and finally the real explanation is provided. The first two parts of the Slavic antithesis are usually similar, while the last verse (the explanation) differs. The first two parts (a question and a negative answer) are descriptive and are simply there to increase the power of the third part (the explanation). Many poems use the same descriptive lines while only changing the last line.
Example
This is an example of the Slavic antithesis from the bigging of the Montenegrin epic poem "Mali RadojicaMali Radojica
Mali Radojica is a Serbian hajduk and Serb epic poem of the same name. The poem follows his life surviving torture by the Turks in an Ottoman prison, later successfully escaping with the help of a Turkish girl who is in love with him. The song belongs to the Hajduk-Uskok cycle....
":
- Mili Bože, čuda golemoga,
- ja li grmi, ja l' se zemlja trese,
- ja se bije more o mramorje,
- ja se biju na Popina vile?
- Niti grmi, nit se zemlja trese,
- ni se bije more o mramorje,
- ni se biju na Popina vile;
- već pucaju na Zadru topovi.
English translation:
- Oh, dear God! A great Wonder!
- Is it thunder, is it the earth quaking?
- Is it the sea which clashes 'gainst the coastland?
- is it the vilas
Slavic fairiesFairies in Slavic mythology come in several forms and their names are spelled differently based on the specific language. Among the ones listed below there were also khovanets , dolia , polyovyk or polevoi , perelesnyk , lesovyk or leshyi , blud , mara Fairies in Slavic mythology come in several...
fighting over Popine?- It isn't thunder, nor is the ground shaking,
- nor is the sea clashing against the coast,
- nor are the vilas fighting over Popine;
- It is the cannons, fired at Zadar
ZadarZadar is a city in Croatia on the Adriatic Sea. It is the centre of Zadar county and the wider northern Dalmatian region. Population of the city is 75,082 citizens...
.
The final line is explanatory and supported by the previous descriptive lines, which give it impact on the audience. However, in other poems the descriptive sound of the first three lines (similar to waves breaking on seashores or earthquakes) may speak of the hoof-beats of the hero's horse, the clash of armies or the power of God.