Jaroslav Seifert Criticism
Jaroslav Seifert, a towering figure in Czech literature, crafted a body of work that reflects the complexities and resilience of 20th-century Czech history. Born in Prague in 1901, Seifert was an early member of the Czechoslovakian Communist Party, yet his political engagement led to his expulsion in 1929. Despite this, he remained an influential voice throughout his career, navigating various oppressive regimes with integrity and courage. His poetry, which spans over sixty years and includes more than thirty volumes, captures the essence of Czech culture, celebrating the city of Prague and intertwining aesthetics from Bohemian Baroque to avant-garde influences. These aspects are highlighted in analyses such as Poets and Power: Jaroslav Seifert and Sensuous Iconicity: The Manifestoes and Tactics of Czech Poetism.
As a co-founder of the Devětsil group, Seifert championed the Poetist movement, which celebrated daily life as a poetic experience. This movement's subversive celebration of Czech culture is evident in works like The City in Tears (1921) and The Plague Column (1977), which explore the strengths and struggles of Czech identity. Seifert's commitment to his craft persisted even under the constraints of political censorship, as he continued to publish through samizdat and émigré channels. The theme of Prague as a central motif in his poetry is thoroughly examined in The Poetics of Prague: Literary Images of a City.
Seifert's literary journey began with proletarian themes, evolved through Poetism, and culminated in a personal, lyrical style exemplified by works like Přilba hlíny and Morový sloup. His evolution is a testament to his adaptability and depth as a poet, marking him as a pivotal figure in Czech literature. Though translations of his work sometimes struggle to capture the full "inner rhythms" of his poetry, as noted in Prague through Parisian Eyes, Seifert remains celebrated for his humor, sensuality, and the conversational style that defines his contributions to world literature. His 1984 Nobel Prize in Literature crowns a career that not only reflects Czech history but also embodies a universal spirit of resilience and humanity.
Contents
- Principal Works
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Seifert, Jaroslav (Contemporary Literary Criticism)
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An introduction to The Plague Column
(summary)
Parrott provides an overview of Seifert's career, discussing the challenges faced by the poet under a régime that attempts to silence him.
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An introduction to An Umbrella from Piccadilly
(summary)
In the following essay, Osers briefly summarizes Seifert's literary career and life.
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Prague through Parisian Eyes
(summary)
In the following review of An Umbrella from Piccadilly and The Casting of Bells, he argues that Seifert's writings are representative of Czech literature, but notes that many of the subtleties and nuances of his work get lost in English translation.
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On the Pathetic and Lyrical State of Mind
(summary)
Below is Seifert's Nobel lecture, which he intended to deliver at the Nobel Prize awards ceremony in Stockholm, Sweden, in December 1984. Seifert was unable to attend the ceremony due to a chronic heart ailment. In his lecture he discusses the role of poetry and pathos in Czech society and in the world in general.
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Ruce Venušiny
(summary)
Below, Lee offers a highly favorable assessment of Ruce Venušiny (Hands of Venus).
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Jaroslav Seifert, Nobel Prize-Winner for Literature, 1984
(summary)
In the essay below, Lewis provides a brief overview of Seifert's life and career, noting that the poet "has refused to allow his artistic integrity to be compromised" by Czechoslovakian censorship.
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The Czech Nobel Laureate Jaroslav Seifert
(summary)
Harkins is an American educator and critic who specializes in Slavic Studies. In the essay below, he provides a brief overview of Seifert's career.
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Poets and Power: Jaroslav Seifert
(summary)
In the excerpt below, Vladislav relates the problems of censorship faced by Seifert while living and publishing in Communist Czechoslovakia.
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The Word Hangs Back
(summary)
In the following review, Heim offers a mixed assessment of An Umbrella from Piccadilly.
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Jaroslav Seifert—The Good Old Drinking Poet
(summary)
A Czechoslovakian-born Canadian novelist, short story writer, essayist, and critic, Škvorecky discusses Seifert's poetry in relation to the social climate in Czechoslovakia, noting the Czech government's official views on Seifert throughout his career. He highlights the impact of the Swedish Academy's decision to award Seifert the 1984 Nobel Prize in Literature.
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The Casting of Bells
(summary)
In the review below, Salzmann offers praise for Seifert, but laments the degree to which his translators distorted his verse in the English-language version of Odlévání zvonů (The Casting of Bells).
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Unpolitical but Not Innocuous
(summary)
In the review of Selected Poetry below, he discusses political aspects of Seifert's poetry, briefly comparing his verse to that of Czeslaw Milosz.
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Public and Private Poetry
(summary)
In the excerpt below, he offers a mixed assessment of The Selected Poetry of Jaroslav Seifert, recognizing Seifert's contribution to Czech poetry and his ability to capture both the sensual world and the realities of violence and vulgarity in his work.
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A Song under All Circumstances
(summary)
Holub is a Czechoslovakian scientist who writes poetry and prose. In the essay below, he praises Seifert's poetry and describes him as "a poet who gave others strength."
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Between Dream and Reality: The Poetry of Jaroslav Seifert
(summary)
In the following essay, Możejko examines the different stages of Seifert's career.
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The Selected Poetry of Jaroslav Seifert
(summary)
In the following review, Werner offers a mixed assessment of The Selected Poetry of Jaroslav Seifert, questioning whether his work is worthy of the Nobel Prize in Literature. The Selected Poetry of Jaroslav Seifert tries to answer two questions: who was Jaroslav Seifert and did he deserve the Noble Prize in Literature? When he won the award in 1984, Seifert was largely unknown outside of Czechoslovakia, but within his native country his poetry was immensely popular (if not always officially sanctioned) and he was considered the country's unofficial national poet. This volume goes far toward answering these two questions.
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A Wreath of Sonnets
(summary)
In the following review of A Wreath of Sonnets and a French-language anthology of Seifert's verse, Banerjee offers praise for the poet's oeuvre.
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An introduction to The Plague Column
(summary)
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Seifert, Jaroslav (Poetry Criticism)
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Poets and Power: Jaroslav Seifert
(summary)
This historically-grounded article describes the Communist regimes attempts to suppress the writing of Jaroslav Seifert, the samizdat or émigré publishing houses used to disseminate censored literature, and Seifert's importance as a literary and historical figure.
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The Poetics of Prague: Literary Images of a City
(summary)
This essay considers how Seifert's poetry uses and reflects upon the Czech capital Prague.
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Sensuous Iconicity: The Manifestoes and Tactics of Czech Poetism
(summary)
In this selection from a scholarly essay, the author draws upon the linguistic theory of Charles Sanders Peirce to examine how Seifert's early poetry contributes to the Poetism movement and to Czech surrealism.
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Poets and Power: Jaroslav Seifert
(summary)
- Further Reading