Ján Hollý
Encyclopedia
Ján Hollý was a Slovak
poet and translator. He was the first greater Slovak poet to write exclusively in the newly standardized literary Slovak language
. His predecessors mostly wrote in various regional versions of Czech
, Slovakized Czech or Latin
. Hollý translated Virgil
's Aeneid
and wrote his own epic poetry
in alexandrine verse to show that the Slovak language recently standardized by Anton Bernolák
was capable of expressing complex poetic forms.
, Bratislava
and Trnava
. He was a Catholic
priest at Madunice
near Piešťany
, where he wrote all his major works sitting below a big tree. Hollý was an active member of the Slovak national revival movement. He used the topic of Great-Moravian
ruler Svätopluk
to encourage the nation, and is regarded as the founding father of Slovak poetry.
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
poet and translator. He was the first greater Slovak poet to write exclusively in the newly standardized literary Slovak language
Slovak language
Slovak , is an Indo-European language that belongs to the West Slavic languages .Slovak is the official language of Slovakia, where it is spoken by 5 million people...
. His predecessors mostly wrote in various regional versions of Czech
Czech language
Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers; it is the majority language in the Czech Republic and spoken by Czechs worldwide. The language was known as Bohemian in English until the late 19th century...
, Slovakized Czech or Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
. Hollý translated Virgil
Virgil
Publius Vergilius Maro, usually called Virgil or Vergil in English , was an ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. He is known for three major works of Latin literature, the Eclogues , the Georgics, and the epic Aeneid...
's Aeneid
Aeneid
The Aeneid is a Latin epic poem, written by Virgil between 29 and 19 BC, that tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a Trojan who travelled to Italy, where he became the ancestor of the Romans. It is composed of roughly 10,000 lines in dactylic hexameter...
and wrote his own epic poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
in alexandrine verse to show that the Slovak language recently standardized by Anton Bernolák
Anton Bernolák
Anton Bernolák Anton Bernolák Anton Bernolák (1 October 1762 in Slanica (a now inundated village near Námestovo – 15 January 1813 in Nové Zámky) was a Slovak linguist and Catholic priest and the author of the first Slovak language standard.-Life:...
was capable of expressing complex poetic forms.
Life
Hollý studied in SkalicaSkalica
Skalica is the largest city in Skalica District in western Slovakia in the Záhorie region. Located near the Czech border, Skalica has a population of 14,963 .-History:...
, Bratislava
Bratislava
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
and Trnava
Trnava
Trnava is a city in western Slovakia, 47 km to the north-east of Bratislava, on the Trnávka river. It is the capital of a kraj and of an okres . It was the seat of a Roman Catholic archbishopric . The city has a historic center...
. He was a Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
priest at Madunice
Madunice
Madunice is a large village and municipality in Slovakia in Trnava region in Hlohovec District.-Situation :Madunice is situated on the right bank of river Váh, approximately one kilometer away from the river. North of Madunice are Drahovce, on east Koplotovce, on south Červeník and Leopoldov and...
near Piešťany
Pieštany
Piešťany is a town in Slovakia. It is located in the western part of the country within the Trnava Region and is the seat of its own district. It is the biggest and best known spa town in Slovakia and has around 30,000 inhabitants.-History:...
, where he wrote all his major works sitting below a big tree. Hollý was an active member of the Slovak national revival movement. He used the topic of Great-Moravian
Great Moravia
Great Moravia was a Slavic state that existed in Central Europe and lasted for nearly seventy years in the 9th century whose creators were the ancestors of the Czechs and Slovaks. It was a vassal state of the Germanic Frankish kingdom and paid an annual tribute to it. There is some controversy as...
ruler Svätopluk
Svatopluk I
Svatopluk I or Zwentibald I was the greatest ruler of Moravia that attained its maximum territorial expansion in his reign . His career had already started in the 860s, when he governed a principality, the location of which is still a matter of debate among historians, within Moravia under the...
to encourage the nation, and is regarded as the founding father of Slovak poetry.