Jindřich Hořejší's first collection of poetry Music in the Square (Hudba
na náměstí; 1921) is one of the first Czech Proletarian poetry with Josef
Hora's collection Working Day (Pracující den; 1920). Hořejší's first
collection has many characteristics of Czech Proletarian poetry such as the
contrast between the rich and the poor, the exploitation of the proletariat
by bourgeoisie, suffering of the proletariat and the proletariat's class
consciousness, collectivism and solidarity among the working class, and
belief in the better future and social revolution. These proletarian subjects
are introduced into the lyric poems like ‘Spiders of the City’ (Pavouci
města), ‘The Game room’ (Herna), ‘Verse’ (Verše), ‘The Street’ (Ulice),
‘Music in the Square’.
The second collection The Coral Necklace (Korálový náhrdelník;
1923) introduces a new type of love poetry or proletarian love poetry into
the Czech modern poetry combining the theme of love with the theme of
ideology. This kind of love poetry is realized in poems like ‘The Coral
Necklace’, ‘Song’ (Píseň), ‘Melody’ (Melodie), etc. However, poems of the
latter part of the collection are close to the proletarian types of the first
collection. Poems like ‘The Beggars’ (Žebráci), ‘Rhythm’ (Rytmus), ‘The
Automobile’ (Automobil), Annunciation (Zvěstování), and ‘In Memory of
Alexandr Blok’ (In memoriam Alexandra Bloka) are good examples.
The third collection Day and Night (Den a noc; 1931) is Hořejší's last
collection of poetry as well as the last work of Czech Proletarian poetry
itself. Of course this collection includes also non ideological poems, i.e.
pure lyric poems as in his two previous collections. In addition, this
collection has two ballads: one social ballad based on traditional Czech folk
ballad ‘Marie Kořenová’ and one charming romantic ballad ‘Lady from the
Ocean’ (Paní z námoří). In spite of this Hořejší defines this collection as a proletarian poetry dedicating the first poem of the collection (‘Za Jiřím
Wolkrem’) to the great Czech proletarian poet Jiří Wolker and the last
poem (‘Za Vladimírem Majakovským’) to the great Russian revolutionary
poet Vladimir Majakovsky.
Hořejší made a considerable contribution not only to Czech proletarian
poetry but also Czech poetry in general as one of the first poets as well
as the last poet of Czech proletarian poetry. He produced a considerable
number of good poems like ‘Music in the Square’, ‘The Lovers’ (Milenci),
‘An Accident in the Street’ (Úraz na ulici), above all ‘Flower Saleswoman’
(Prodavačka růží) from the first collection securing the artistic quality in
his tendency poetry and also pure lyric poetry like ‘Conversation’
(Rozhovor), ‘Nostalgia’ (Tesknice), and romantic ballad ‘Lady from the
Ocean’. Hořejší's proletarian love poetry, for example, ‘The Coral
Necklace’, ‘Song’, and ‘Melody’ are also unique in the history of Czech
modern poetry.
Jindřich Hořejší's first collection of poetry Music in the Square (Hudba
na náměstí; 1921) is one of the first Czech Proletarian poetry with Josef
Hora's collection Working Day (Pracující den; 1920). Hořejší's first
collection has many characteristics of Czech Proletarian poetry such as the
contrast between the rich and the poor, the exploitation of the proletariat
by bourgeoisie, suffering of the proletariat and the proletariat's class
consciousness, collectivism and solidarity among the working class, and
belief in the better future and social revolution. These proletarian subjects
are introduced into the lyric poems like ‘Spiders of the City’ (Pavouci
města), ‘The Game room’ (Herna), ‘Verse’ (Verše), ‘The Street’ (Ulice),
‘Music in the Square’.
The second collection The Coral Necklace (Korálový náhrdelník;
1923) introduces a new type of love poetry or proletarian love poetry into
the Czech modern poetry combining the theme of love with the theme of
ideology. This kind of love poetry is realized in poems like ‘The Coral
Necklace’, ‘Song’ (Píseň), ‘Melody’ (Melodie), etc. However, poems of the
latter part of the collection are close to the proletarian types of the first
collection. Poems like ‘The Beggars’ (Žebráci), ‘Rhythm’ (Rytmus), ‘The
Automobile’ (Automobil), Annunciation (Zvěstování), and ‘In Memory of
Alexandr Blok’ (In memoriam Alexandra Bloka) are good examples.
The third collection Day and Night (Den a noc; 1931) is Hořejší's last
collection of poetry as well as the last work of Czech Proletarian poetry
itself. Of course this collection includes also non ideological poems, i.e.
pure lyric poems as in his two previous collections. In addition, this
collection has two ballads: one social ballad based on traditional Czech folk
ballad ‘Marie Kořenová’ and one charming romantic ballad ‘Lady from the
Ocean’ (Paní z námoří). In spite of this Hořejší defines this collection as a proletarian poetry dedicating the first poem of the collection (‘Za Jiřím
Wolkrem’) to the great Czech proletarian poet Jiří Wolker and the last
poem (‘Za Vladimírem Majakovským’) to the great Russian revolutionary
poet Vladimir Majakovsky.
Hořejší made a considerable contribution not only to Czech proletarian
poetry but also Czech poetry in general as one of the first poets as well
as the last poet of Czech proletarian poetry. He produced a considerable
number of good poems like ‘Music in the Square’, ‘The Lovers’ (Milenci),
‘An Accident in the Street’ (Úraz na ulici), above all ‘Flower Saleswoman’
(Prodavačka růží) from the first collection securing the artistic quality in
his tendency poetry and also pure lyric poetry like ‘Conversation’
(Rozhovor), ‘Nostalgia’ (Tesknice), and romantic ballad ‘Lady from the
Ocean’. Hořejší's proletarian love poetry, for example, ‘The Coral
Necklace’, ‘Song’, and ‘Melody’ are also unique in the history of Czech
modern poetry.