Europinė kultūra ir lietuviškieji archetipai : Jono Juškaičio mintijimai

Abstract

J.Juškaitis is not found among the most popular Lithuanian poets. The multiple and complex voice of his poetry is not highly appreciated by a daily reader. His poems are not easily understood; his poeticized world should be grasped through the subtle reading of metaphors, deciphering of intricacies of syntax and polysemy of words, and inferring the main idea of a poem on one's own. The "second reality" of his poems is filled with Christian motifs, images of old Lithuanian mythology, ideas of romanticism and symbols of West European culture. The sense of inner sacral world in his verses is very strong; it is realised through the transformation of Christian and pagan an archetypes. These archetypes do not contrast—on the contrary, they are viewed as a step towards absolute harmony. A contrast does appear, though, and it is created by the poetical speech itself and the internal world of the poem: one finds broken, non-typical verse producing a harmonious picture. Juškaitis was greatly influenced by R.M.Rilke's poetry. While reading and translating Rilke, the Lithuanian poet became aware of the world in its most simple manifestations and, through this, experienced God. Juškaitis' poetry also shows the influence of J.Keats' romantic poetry, the folkloric allusions to F.Garcia Lorca's creative works, and the poetical thought of many other poets, chiefly European. In spite of the abundant appearance of archetypes and Medieval Christian allusions related to the presence of God, Juškaitis' lyrics is very simple. In his poetry the poet's contemporaries can see their own lives; he is able to view the world through the eyes of both, an intellectual and a simple man from the countryside. Juškaitis does not deny traditions, he accepts and transforms them. His poetry cannot be separated from his world- outlook and the innate Lithuanian spirit.