Vítezslav Hálek
Encyclopedia
Odolena Voda
Odolena Voda is a town in Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic located about 16 km north of Prague.-External links:*...
– 8 October 1874) was a Czech
Czech people
Czechs, or Czech people are a western Slavic people of Central Europe, living predominantly in the Czech Republic. Small populations of Czechs also live in Slovakia, Austria, the United States, the United Kingdom, Chile, Argentina, Canada, Germany, Russia and other countries...
poet, writer, journalist, dramatist and theatre critic. He is considered one of the most important representatives of the May school, besides Jan Neruda
Jan Neruda
Jan Nepomuk Neruda was a Czech journalist, writer and poet, one of the most prominent representatives of Czech Realism and a member of "the May school".-Early life:...
and Karolína Světlá
Karolína Svetlá
Karolina Světlá was a Czech female author of the 19th century. She was a representative to the literary May School. She married Professor Petr Mužák in 1852, who had taught her music. She also had an affair with Jan Neruda. She introduced Eliška Krásnohorská to literature and feminism...
.
Life
After studies at gymnasium in PraguePrague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
Hálek refused to study at seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
. He unfinished philosophical studies and decided to become writer. Since 1861 he worked as editor in Národní listy, later he helped to publish newspapers and journals (Lumír, Zlatá Praha, Květy etc.). He worked as journalist until his death in Prague (1874). He died suddenly, of pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
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Style
In his time, he was very popular, partly because his optimistic and relaxed style of writing. This is very contrasting in comparison with Neruda, whose work wasn't appreciated during his life and whose style was much more serious and critical.Important works
- Večerní písně (Evening Songs), 1859
- V přírodě (In the Nature), 1872