The directory «Plots»

Aškerc Anton
(1856—1912)

Poet, translator and editor Anton Aškerc was born on February 9, 1856 in Globoko at Rimske toplice. After Slovenian one-class school, he attended the German primary school and gymnasium in Celje and afterwards studied theology in Maribor. During his studies he was developing into a freethinker and started doubting religious dogmas. As a priest he came at odds with his profession and his supervisors. He retired prematurely and was a city archivist in Ljubljana until his death in 1912. He published his first poems anonymously in Zgodnja Danica and in Ljubljanski zvon under the pseudonym Gorazd. After initial lyrical poems he continued with ballads and romances and then almost entirely focused on epic poetry. His epic poetry was close to realistic mode of thinking, it expressed national awareness and doubt into the Catholic and other dogmas. Characteristic of his poetry are his first two poetical collections Ballads and Romances and Lyrical and Epical Poetries, which mark his creative peak. He became a master of ballads and romances. In his third collection The New Poetries, a decline of his poetical strength is evident. Between 1900 and 1902, he was the editor of Ljubljanski zvon. Not too successfully, he also tried himself as a playwright. He translated mostly Russian poets.

Slovenia, 2006.09.22, Rimske Toplice. Anton Aškerc

Slovenia, 2006.09.22, Anton Aškerc