Josef Václav Sládek

Josef Václav Sládek, painting by Jan Vilímek

Josef Václav Sládek (27 October 1845 in Zbiroh – 28 June 1912 in Zbiroh)[1] was a Czech poet, journalist and translator, member of the literary group Lumírovci (cs:Lumírovci), pioneer of children's poetry in Czech lands.[2]

In 1865, he graduated at the Academic Gymnasium in Prague.[1] In 1867, he became suspected by the Austro-Hungarian police of supporting the Czech opposition movement against the monarchy.[1] In 1868 he moved to United States,[3] where he spent two years working as a laborer. He was interested in the fate of indigenous peoples and blacks. He described his American experience in a collection of poems (titled Poems) and in one prose (American images). His stay in the USA influenced him significantly. Throughout the rest of his life he focused on translating Anglo-American literature. He translated 33 plays by William Shakespeare and other works by Burns, Longfellow, Hart, Byron, Coleridge etc.[4] Less known fact is that Sládek translated the Czech anthem Kde domov můj into English. [5] [6]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Vaněk, Václav, Menclová, Věra (ed.) (2005). Slovník českých spisovatelů. Prague: Libri. pp. 599–600. ISBN 80-7277-179-5. (in Czech)
  2. ↑ http://www.larousse.fr/encyclopedie/litterature/Sládek/177098
  3. ↑ "Josef Václav Sládek: inspirace v Americe - Cestovatelské legendy a současní cestovatelé - cestování, poznávání, dobrodružství". Hedvabnastezka.cz. Retrieved 2017-02-06.
  4. ↑ "Sládek, Josef Václav, *27.10.1845 - †28.6.1912, český básník, překladatel, žurnalista - CoJeCo.cz - Vaše encyklopedie". CoJeCo.cz. Retrieved 2017-02-06.
  5. ↑ https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn90059522/1892-03-28/ed-1/seq-2/#date1=1789&index=1&rows=20&words=Czechia&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=&date2=1943&proxtext=Czechia&y=10&x=15&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1
  6. ↑ https://www.pressreader.com/czech-republic/lidove-noviny/20170701/281973197671948
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