JOVAN JOVANOVIĆ ZMAJ - FOUNDER OF SERBIAN CHILDREN’S POETRY

BIJELJINA, JUNE 13 /SRNA/ – The founder of Serbian children's poetry, Jovan Jovanović /1833–1904/, known as Zmaj Jova or Uncle Jova Zmaj, passed away on June 14, 1904.

Jovanović was one of the most prolific poets of Serbian Romanticism. He completed degrees in both law and medicine while simultaneously launching and editing numerous literary journals.

In 1858, Zmaj published his first poem, "O Gaši" /About Gaša/, and during his lifetime wrote around 450 poems for children.

Some of his most well-known poems include "Al' je lep ovaj svet" /What a Beautiful World/, "Pačija škola" /The Duck School/, "Materina maza" /Mother's Darling/, "Taši, taši," "Zima, zima, e pa šta je" /Winter, Winter, So What/, "Žaba čita novine" /The Frog Reads the Newspaper/, and "Ciganin hvali svoga konja" /The Gypsy Praises His Horse/.

He also wrote poems for adult readers, among which the most notable are "Zar ja ljubit' više ne smem" /Am I No Longer Allowed to Love/, "Moji mrtvi" /My Dead/, "Misleć' na te" /Thinking of You/, "Mrtvo cveće" /Dead Flowers/, and "Svetli grobovi" /Shining Graves/.

After marrying his wife Ruža in 1862, some of his most beautiful love poems were written, including "Kaži mi, kaži, kako da te zovem" /Tell Me, Tell Me, What Shall I Call You/, "Tijo noći moje zlato spava" /Hush Night, My Darling Sleeps/, and "Zaspala si, a ja budan" /You Fell Asleep, and I Am Awake/.

In 1863, Jovanović launched the satirical magazine Zmaj in Pest, which would become his pen name.

After the death of his wife and five children, Zmaj dedicated the poetry collection "Đulići uveoci" /Withered Roses/ to them, expressing his profound grief.

From 1880, he began editing Neven, widely considered the best children's magazine of that time. In 1882, he completed "Pevanija" and "Druga pevanija," collections of humorous and children's poems previously published in various newspapers and journals.

In 1883, in the literary-political journal Starmali, he published the poem "Šta se čuje?" /What Do We Hear?/, in which he addressed the plight of Croats under Austro-Hungarian attempts at Magyarization, calling on Serbs to help them.

Some of Zmaj's most famous quotes include:

"Knowledge is not just knowing, but giving knowledge."

"A funeral is more beautiful when ideals bury their man, than when a man buries his ideals."

"If you fall, don't get dirty. If you get dirty, don't wallow."

One of the great admirers of Zmaj's poetry was the renowned Serbian scientist Nikola Tesla. Tesla translated about ten of Zmaj's poems into English, regarding him as the greatest Serbian poet.

Tesla's translations were published in the esteemed journal Vijek, where he also wrote a detailed biography of the poet for American readers, revealing some previously unknown details about the beginnings of Zmaj's literary work.

Thanks to Tesla, Zmaj became the first Serbian writer to be translated and published in the United States.

In his honor, Matica Srpska established the Zmaj Award for poetry in the Serbian language and organizes Zmaj's Children's Games in Novi Sad, the largest children's literary festival in Serbia.