Desanka Maksimović
Desanka Maksimović (Десанка Максимовић) (1898. - 1993.), Serbian poet, professor of literature, member of Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts.
Biography
Desanka Maksimović was born on May 16. 1898. in Rabrovica, near Valjevo, as the oldest child of father Mihailo, a teacher, and mother Draginja. Right after her birth, her father was transferred, and they are moving to Brankovina. Desanka spent her childhood in Brankovina. She finished gymnasium in Valjevo and Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade.
In August 1933. she married Sergij Slastikov, but they had no children of their own.
Desanka was a professor of Serbian language since 1923. until 1953, in several schools. First she was a teacher in Obrenovac gymnasium, then in Third female gymnasium in Belgrade. On September 3. she was transferred in school for teachers in Dubrovnik, where she spent one year. After that, she worked in First female gymnasium in Belgrade. One of her best students was Mira Aleckovic, who also became a poet and a close friend of Desanka Maksimovic.
When she heard that German soldiers shoot children of primary school in Kragujevac, on October, 21. 1941, she wrote "Bloody fairy tale", a poem that speaks about terror that German army practiced in WWII. This poem was not published until the end of the war.
She traveled across Yugoslavia, and made friends among writers and poets like Milos Crnjanski, Ivo Andric, Gustav Krklec, Isidora Sekulic, Branko Copic...
Her poetry spoke about love and patriotism, it was enthusiastic and youthful, serious and sensitive. It was said that Serbian language best sung in poems of Desanka Maksimovic. Some of her best poems are:"Anticipation" ("Предосећање"), "Tremble" ("Стрепња"), "Spring poem" ("Пролећна песма"), "Warning" ("Опомена"), "In storm" ("На бури"), "I seek amnesty" ("Тражим помиловање"), "Sheared meadow" ("Покошена ливада") etc.
Desanka won a number of literal awards: among them Vuk's award, Njegos's award (1984.) and AVNOJ award. She was elected as honorary citizen of Valjevo.
1985. primary school in Brankovina where she got her first education was reconstructed. In this school her father worked as teacher, and local people called it Desanka's school. It is now it's official name.
While she was still alive in Valjevo was built a statue of her, although she objected it a bit.
Because of hers poetry of undying value, Desanka Maksimovic was on December 17. 1959. elected as associate member of Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SANU), and on December 16. 1965. she became regular member.
Desanka Maksimovic died on February 11. 1993, in Belgrade, when she was 95. She was buried in Brankovina near Valjevo.
After her death, Desanka Maksimovic Foundation was founded. This foundation organizes Desanka Maksimovic award.
Literal works
Most important works of Desanka Maksimovic are (list in Serbian):
- Песме (1924.)
- Врт детињства, песме (1927.)
- Зелени витез, песме (1930.)
- Лудило срца, приповетке (1931.)
- Срце лутке спаваљке и друге приче за децу (1931, 1943)
- Гозба на ливади, песме (1932.)
- Како они живе, приче (1935.)
- Нове песме (1936.)
- Распеване приче (1938.)
- Загонетке лаке за прваке ђаке (са Јованком Хрваћанин, 1942.)
- Шарена торбица, дечје песме (1943.)
- Ослобођење Цвете Андрић, поема (1945.)
- Песник и завичај, песме (1945.)
- Отаџбина у првомајској поворци, поема (1949.)
- Самогласници А, Е, И, О, У (1949.)
- Отаџбино, ту сам (1951.)
- Страшна игра, приче (1950.)
- Ветрова успаванка (1953.)
- Отворен прозор, роман (1954.)
- Пролећни састанак (1954.)
- Мирис земље, изабране песме (1955.)
- Бајка о Кратковечној (1957.)
- Ако је веровати мојој баки, приче (1959.)
- Заробљеник снова (1960.)
- Говори тихо, песме (1961.)
- Пролећни састанак (1961.)
- Патуљкова тајна, приче (1963.)
- Птице на чесми, песме (1963.)
- Тражим помиловање, лирска дискусија с Душановим закоником (1964.)
- Хоћу да се радујем, приче (1965.)
- Ђачко срце (1966.)
- Изволите на изложбу деце сликара (1966.)
- Прадевојчица, роман (1970.)
- На шеснаести рођендан, песме (1970.)
- Празници путовања, путописи (1972.)
- Немам више времена, песме (1973.)
- Летопис Перунових потомака, песме (1976.)
- Песме из Норвешке (1976.)
- Бајке за децу (1977.)
- Ничија земља (1979.)
- Ветрова успаванка, песме за децу (1983.)
- Међаши сећања, песме (1983.)
- Слово о љубави, песме (1983.)
- Памтићу све (1989.)
- Небески разбој (1991.)
- Озон завичаја (1991.)
- Зовина свирала (1992.)