Vítězslav Nezval
Vítězslav Nezval (26 May 1900 – 6 April 1958) was a Czech poet.[1]
Biography
Vítězslav Nezval was born in the village of Biskoupky on 26 May 1900.[2] In 1919 started to study law at the University of Brno, but quickly realised that he did not want to be a lawyer. He went to Prague instead and entered the Faculty of Philosophy of Prague University.[2] He attended lectures given by František Xaver Šalda, a famous literary critic, there. He was active in the Devětsil literary group.[1] In 1926 he met Františka Řepová, who later became his wife.[2] During the Second World War he was shortly imprisoned. After the war he worked for the Ministry of Information.[2] He died on 6 April 1958 in Prague.
Works
Vítězslav Nezval was a poet, playwright, author of novels, translator and literary critic.[1] He wrote a lot. He was a representative of Poetismus, which was Czech avantgarde. He was also a leading Czech surrealist. His poetry was strongly influenced by modern French literature. He also wrote a book of ballads in the manner of François Villon 52 hořkých balad věčného studenta Roberta Davida.[2] Nezval's most important works are poems Edison, Signál času, Akrobat and Podivuhodný kouzelník. They were collected in the book named Básně noci.[2] His novel Valérie a týden divů was made into a movie in 1970 by Jaromil Jireš.[3] Many his poems were translated into English. For example Ewald Osers translated Edison.
Vítězslav Nezval Media
Memorial plaque on the house where he died in 1958
References
Bibliography
- Vítězslav Nezval, Edison. Báseň o pěti zpěvech. English translation: Ewald Osers, Dvořák, Pelhřimov 2003, ISBN 80-239-0456-6