Jotie T'Hooft
Encyclopedia
Johan Geeraard Adriaan T'Hooft (9 May 1956 - 6 October 1977) was a Flemish Belgian
neo-romantic
poet
.
His life and death by overdose were made into a movie, the English title Junkie's Sorrow.
, Belgium
. He was an only child.
During his younger years, he was an excellent student, but had difficulties adjusting to life as a secondary school student. He was expelled from several schools by the time he was 14. It is then that he sought safety in literature, especially the works of Franz Kafka
and Hermann Hesse
and drugs.
He moved out at age 17 to study in Ghent
. However, his drug habit prevented him from ever beginning his studies. In 1973 he made his first suicide attempt.
He married in 1974. His father-in-law was a publisher who agreed to publish his works.
T'Hooft died of a drug overdose in 1977.
. This is perfectly characterized by a phrase from one of his poems: I am world, in me unstoppably the death flower has awoken. According to his poetry, he sees himself as a stranger; the world is a foreign place to him.
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
neo-romantic
Neo-romanticism
The term neo-romanticism is used to cover a variety of movements in music, painting and architecture. It has been used with reference to very late 19th century and early 20th century composers such as Gustav Mahler particularly by Carl Dahlhaus who uses it as synonymous with late Romanticism...
poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
.
His life and death by overdose were made into a movie, the English title Junkie's Sorrow.
Life
Jotie T'Hooft was born in OudenaardeOudenaarde
Oudenaarde is a Belgian municipality in the Flemish province of East Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Oudenaarde proper and the towns of Bevere, Edelare, Eine, Ename, Heurne, Leupegem, Mater, Melden, Mullem, Nederename, Welden, Volkegem and a part of Ooike.From the 15th to the 18th...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. He was an only child.
During his younger years, he was an excellent student, but had difficulties adjusting to life as a secondary school student. He was expelled from several schools by the time he was 14. It is then that he sought safety in literature, especially the works of Franz Kafka
Franz Kafka
Franz Kafka was a culturally influential German-language author of short stories and novels. Contemporary critics and academics, including Vladimir Nabokov, regard Kafka as one of the best writers of the 20th century...
and Hermann Hesse
Hermann Hesse
Hermann Hesse was a German-Swiss poet, novelist, and painter. In 1946, he received the Nobel Prize in Literature...
and drugs.
He moved out at age 17 to study in Ghent
Ghent
Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
. However, his drug habit prevented him from ever beginning his studies. In 1973 he made his first suicide attempt.
He married in 1974. His father-in-law was a publisher who agreed to publish his works.
T'Hooft died of a drug overdose in 1977.
Themes
The most obvious theme in his poetry is deathDeath
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
. This is perfectly characterized by a phrase from one of his poems: I am world, in me unstoppably the death flower has awoken. According to his poetry, he sees himself as a stranger; the world is a foreign place to him.