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POETRY IN TRANSLATION
The Shape (Oblik, 2000) is a collection of poetry by the Serbian-American poet Dejan Stojanović (1959). The book contains 46 poems in six sequences: "Home of the Shape," "Happiness of Atoms," "Bells," "Pit of the Stone," "Wonders," and "Big Chamber."
The primordial existence of the shape, summed up in Dejan Stojanović's poems, does not rest on historical and mythical tradition. However, it indirectly relies on it. The poem is deeply plunged into the darkness of the primordial form and its countless allotropic forms depicted in the natural cycle. It establishes a relationship between one's formative power and perception of the outlines and boundaries of the world—space and time, a unique and absolute being, the beginning and end of the world.
– Petar V. Arbutina
CONCISE AND CLEAN LANGUAGE
Philosophical reminiscences prevail in the book The Shape. The basic motif throughout the book is shape, from atoms to stars. It must be admitted that writing about such an abstract concept takes work. Affirmation of life and creativity is dominant in the world. "I am the form that creates forms / To create means to live" ("The Life of Forms"). In the poem "Glow," there is praise for the form: "If you understood my brilliance / You would shine, too." In a quiet voice, the poet admonishes those who are deaf to the brilliance: "I only speak in silence // If I really spoke / You would become speechless" ("Return from a Dream"). The movement is, "I've passed through everything / Although, I've never been anywhere // I sleep in the smallest and the biggest / Although I stay in the same place // Wherever I go / I run into myself," from the poem of the same name.
Hate stands on the other side. The poet, naturally, opts for love but also understands the one who hates: "Nothing happens / Nothing disappears" ("Big room"). A distant shape, in spite of huge distance, can be heard. In the book The Shape, Stojanović expressed a high degree of philosophical understanding of things and phenomena, abstract above all, and presented himself as a great poet.
– Draginja Urošević
Borba, 2001
The Shape (Oblik, 2000) is a collection of poetry by the Serbian-American poet Dejan Stojanović (1959). The book contains 46 poems in six sequences: "Home of the Shape," "Happiness of Atoms," "Bells," "Pit of the Stone," "Wonders," and "Big Chamber."
The primordial existence of the shape, summed up in Dejan Stojanović's poems, does not rest on historical and mythical tradition. However, it indirectly relies on it. The poem is deeply plunged into the darkness of the primordial form and its countless allotropic forms depicted in the natural cycle. It establishes a relationship between one's formative power and perception of the outlines and boundaries of the world—space and time, a unique and absolute being, the beginning and end of the world.
– Petar V. Arbutina
CONCISE AND CLEAN LANGUAGE
Philosophical reminiscences prevail in the book The Shape. The basic motif throughout the book is shape, from atoms to stars. It must be admitted that writing about such an abstract concept takes work. Affirmation of life and creativity is dominant in the world. "I am the form that creates forms / To create means to live" ("The Life of Forms"). In the poem "Glow," there is praise for the form: "If you understood my brilliance / You would shine, too." In a quiet voice, the poet admonishes those who are deaf to the brilliance: "I only speak in silence // If I really spoke / You would become speechless" ("Return from a Dream"). The movement is, "I've passed through everything / Although, I've never been anywhere // I sleep in the smallest and the biggest / Although I stay in the same place // Wherever I go / I run into myself," from the poem of the same name.
Hate stands on the other side. The poet, naturally, opts for love but also understands the one who hates: "Nothing happens / Nothing disappears" ("Big room"). A distant shape, in spite of huge distance, can be heard. In the book The Shape, Stojanović expressed a high degree of philosophical understanding of things and phenomena, abstract above all, and presented himself as a great poet.
– Draginja Urošević
Borba, 2001
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Stojanović’s collected poems, the first pentalogy he wrote between 1978 and 2000, represent a unique and intricate poetic universe, comprising five collections that capture his artistic evolution and distinctive vision. It begins with Circling: 1978-1987, published in 1993, where Stojanović embarks on an insightful exploration of thought and sensory experience, laying a foundation that connects his later works. This collection reflects the dynamics between movement and matter, establishing a thematic tone that resonates throughout his subsequent writings.
In The Sun Watches the Sun, released in 1999, Stojanović deepens this inquiry, inviting readers to contemplate the complex relationship between existence and perception. He reveals how light and observation shape our understanding through striking imagery and profound reflections, demonstrating his capacity to weave philosophical ideas into poetry seamlessly.
The year 2000 marks a significant moment with the publication of three collections: The Creator, The Sign and Its Children, and The Shape. In The Creator, he delves into the essence of genesis and existence, raising thought-provoking questions about the nature of creation. This collection exemplifies his ability to merge poetry with deep philosophical exploration. Meanwhile, The Sign and Its Children investigates the nuances of language and symbolism, showcasing Stojanović’s talent for creating layered meanings that resonate on multiple levels. Concluding the pentalogy is The Shape, which encapsulates Stojanović’s overarching themes by highlighting the infinite potential of form and motion within his poetic realm. In this final work, he adeptly illustrates how creation and its manifestations perpetually evolve, encouraging readers to embrace complexity and paradox.
These five collections illuminate Stojanović’s poetic journey, characterized by a harmonious interaction of philosophical thought and emotions enriched by poetry and life. His work invites profound reflection on the intricacies of existence, offering essential insights for any reader eager to explore the depths of humanity and the Cosmos. Stojanović’s poetry transcends conventional boundaries, providing a transformative lens that merges philosophical inquiry with vibrant expression. His writing vividly examines existence, encouraging readers to witness the metamorphoses of thought through rich imagery and sensory experiences.
Central to Stojanović’s collections is a deep contemplation of chaos and Cosmos, guiding readers through a complex landscape where philosophical and poetic realms converge. In pieces like “Pure Thought,” he skillfully navigates the terrain of thought amid various challenges, emerging with insights illuminating the intrinsic connection between being and awareness. Stojanović’s works resonate with philosophical traditions, particularly pre-Socratic thought, as they delve into the essence of matter and the Universe. His recurring motifs—atoms and silent melodies—forge a strong connection to foundational philosophical concepts, allowing readers to witness the seamless integration of nature and the human experience.
In The Sun Watches the Sun, released in 1999, Stojanović deepens this inquiry, inviting readers to contemplate the complex relationship between existence and perception. He reveals how light and observation shape our understanding through striking imagery and profound reflections, demonstrating his capacity to weave philosophical ideas into poetry seamlessly.
The year 2000 marks a significant moment with the publication of three collections: The Creator, The Sign and Its Children, and The Shape. In The Creator, he delves into the essence of genesis and existence, raising thought-provoking questions about the nature of creation. This collection exemplifies his ability to merge poetry with deep philosophical exploration. Meanwhile, The Sign and Its Children investigates the nuances of language and symbolism, showcasing Stojanović’s talent for creating layered meanings that resonate on multiple levels. Concluding the pentalogy is The Shape, which encapsulates Stojanović’s overarching themes by highlighting the infinite potential of form and motion within his poetic realm. In this final work, he adeptly illustrates how creation and its manifestations perpetually evolve, encouraging readers to embrace complexity and paradox.
These five collections illuminate Stojanović’s poetic journey, characterized by a harmonious interaction of philosophical thought and emotions enriched by poetry and life. His work invites profound reflection on the intricacies of existence, offering essential insights for any reader eager to explore the depths of humanity and the Cosmos. Stojanović’s poetry transcends conventional boundaries, providing a transformative lens that merges philosophical inquiry with vibrant expression. His writing vividly examines existence, encouraging readers to witness the metamorphoses of thought through rich imagery and sensory experiences.
Central to Stojanović’s collections is a deep contemplation of chaos and Cosmos, guiding readers through a complex landscape where philosophical and poetic realms converge. In pieces like “Pure Thought,” he skillfully navigates the terrain of thought amid various challenges, emerging with insights illuminating the intrinsic connection between being and awareness. Stojanović’s works resonate with philosophical traditions, particularly pre-Socratic thought, as they delve into the essence of matter and the Universe. His recurring motifs—atoms and silent melodies—forge a strong connection to foundational philosophical concepts, allowing readers to witness the seamless integration of nature and the human experience.
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The second collection of Dejan Stojanovic's verse, The Sun is Watching Itself, is covered by a metaphysical and philosophical veil. Eleven segments are connected by these two abstract approaches and key images, such as a circle, suggesting infinity, and silence, reflecting space and eternity. The circle serves as a powerful symbol and a device of the perpetual in this poetry: "The end without endlessness is only a new beginning," claims the poet. Thus, one of the poems bears the title "God and Circle," symbolizing the perennial search for an exit and the eventual finding of one, which only leads into another circle and to continuous evolution. This prompts Stojanovic to ask, "Is God himself a Circle?"--implying that God is endless and ever-present.
Although concise, the poems convey messages from the triad circle of God-eternity in a powerful and specific manner, connected by man's destiny and the poet's concept of human life and origins and of the universe itself. In other words, microcosmic observations lead to macrocosmic revelations and didactic conclusions. The poems seem to teach us what is obvious in the context of common sense, often surprisingly remote to the modern man.
The author has a coextensive approach in terms of style and format; he uses relatively simple expressions and words in an interplay of brilliant meanings that bring about highly complex but easily readable structures. If elegance is represented by simplicity, then these are some of the most elegant verses imaginable; unadorned verses are a source of beauty and wisdom.
Stojanovic's perceptions of light and darkness, fantasy and reality, truth and falsehood present us with a circular format of infinity and resurrection.
The format has its logical beginning and end. The Sun is Watching Itself begins with poems dedicated to God and the universe, then descends from the metaphysical to the philosophical, focusing on more ordinary such us the symbolic meaning of a stone, a game, a place, silence, hopelessness, and the question "Is it possible to write a poem?" Stojanovic's collection might well serve as an affirmative answer to this question. The poet has taken us on a long journey from God and the universe to our everyday world. We all seem to be a part of a circle, says the author, searching for the eternal in the universe, only to realize the finality of life on earth. The poet's message is doubly effective for its extraordinary, soul-searching content and reflective, powerful language.
-Branko Mikasinovich, Washington, D.C.
WLT World Literature Today, A Literary Quarterly of the University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma
Volume 74, Number 2, Page 442, Spring 2000
Although concise, the poems convey messages from the triad circle of God-eternity in a powerful and specific manner, connected by man's destiny and the poet's concept of human life and origins and of the universe itself. In other words, microcosmic observations lead to macrocosmic revelations and didactic conclusions. The poems seem to teach us what is obvious in the context of common sense, often surprisingly remote to the modern man.
The author has a coextensive approach in terms of style and format; he uses relatively simple expressions and words in an interplay of brilliant meanings that bring about highly complex but easily readable structures. If elegance is represented by simplicity, then these are some of the most elegant verses imaginable; unadorned verses are a source of beauty and wisdom.
Stojanovic's perceptions of light and darkness, fantasy and reality, truth and falsehood present us with a circular format of infinity and resurrection.
The format has its logical beginning and end. The Sun is Watching Itself begins with poems dedicated to God and the universe, then descends from the metaphysical to the philosophical, focusing on more ordinary such us the symbolic meaning of a stone, a game, a place, silence, hopelessness, and the question "Is it possible to write a poem?" Stojanovic's collection might well serve as an affirmative answer to this question. The poet has taken us on a long journey from God and the universe to our everyday world. We all seem to be a part of a circle, says the author, searching for the eternal in the universe, only to realize the finality of life on earth. The poet's message is doubly effective for its extraordinary, soul-searching content and reflective, powerful language.
-Branko Mikasinovich, Washington, D.C.
WLT World Literature Today, A Literary Quarterly of the University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma
Volume 74, Number 2, Page 442, Spring 2000
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Circling is the book which I thoroughly enjoyed. Many fine little poems.
— Charles Simic
In a colorful landscape of contemporary Serbian poetry, a careful reader can recognize that one of its branches, with a decidedly reflective experience of the poetic tradition and heritage, corresponds with a Serbian medieval age, opens up for its Byzantine chords, and, in the context of contemporary poetry, is closest to Modern Classicism. In the first wave of Serbian post-World War II poetry, this stream was at the very foundation of a revival, which is almost suppressed today.
Today, in the atmosphere of almost complete saturation by the practice of ever-changing poetic trends, Serbian poetry is returning to its basics. This picture of a slow rebound, a long-awaited reorientation on the Serbian poetic scene, is already happening, by all accounts, and is sensed in the actual literary production.
Reading the book Circling triggers the associations of this wave, which is not underground anymore but has transformed into a poetic phenomenon. Dejan Stojanović is not influenced by any contemporary poetic school or fashionable poetic trend and is not trapped by some sensibility as a “follower.” Stojanović, as a reflective poet of mature thought and discourse, revives the atmosphere of the ancient times even in the first layers of his poems. It is easy to notice what specifically marks Stojanović in Serbian contemporary poetry: In weaving his poems and building his lines, a poet has returned to the antic form of utterance, to the difficult and slow movement of the poetic matter, to the dignified and solemn tone, and that kind of wisdom which was nourished in ancient times.
Far from experiments, challenges of hazards, and poetic adventures, Stojanović’s poems exude the dignity of ancient forms. Like painters' techniques, Stojanović condenses his utterances into short, harmonious poems, most often colored with Mediterranean colors, surprisingly successfully. His poems, almost by a rule, are condensed forms made of short utterances. In the book's second part, the poetic palette becomes darker with an introduction of fantastic and hallucinogenic elements and even apocalyptic tones. Nevertheless, the principle of condensation and consistency of form is never questioned. Apocalyptic scenes and images of evil are expressed in huge blocks that give the impression of the work of an architect or a sculptor. Such are the poems “Vision,” The Chess Board,” “Arrival of Darkness,” and “River of Death,” which all appear as compositions. There is a feeling that Stojanović wrote his poems along with visual compositions; to that extent, visual-imaginative effects are impressive.
Specific, surprisingly original, outside the collectively nurtured sensibilities and fashionable trends, Stojanović is an extraordinary example of creative individualism in a generation that nourished such individualism the least. For that reason, the book Circling is not only an example of an extraordinary poetic achievement, which represents a strong encouragement to the important branch of Serbian poetry but is also an announcement of a moral and spiritual project. This project belongs to the tradition of Serbian poetry and thought in the best sense of the word.
--Alek Vukadinović
Afterward, the first Serbian edition (1993)
Dejan Stojanovic’s poems are astute and spiritual tangents of a circle that comprises the phenomena hidden beyond the direct naming of the world and things in poetic transposition. With his poems, he seeks the borderlines between the content and its metaphysical expression, pure thought about the world and its essence. Passion and complete and easy-flowing devotion to poetry and to the power of words, poetically and semantically, above all, shape his original poetic output.
--Petar V. Arbutina
https://shorturl.at/yICHx
— Charles Simic
In a colorful landscape of contemporary Serbian poetry, a careful reader can recognize that one of its branches, with a decidedly reflective experience of the poetic tradition and heritage, corresponds with a Serbian medieval age, opens up for its Byzantine chords, and, in the context of contemporary poetry, is closest to Modern Classicism. In the first wave of Serbian post-World War II poetry, this stream was at the very foundation of a revival, which is almost suppressed today.
Today, in the atmosphere of almost complete saturation by the practice of ever-changing poetic trends, Serbian poetry is returning to its basics. This picture of a slow rebound, a long-awaited reorientation on the Serbian poetic scene, is already happening, by all accounts, and is sensed in the actual literary production.
Reading the book Circling triggers the associations of this wave, which is not underground anymore but has transformed into a poetic phenomenon. Dejan Stojanović is not influenced by any contemporary poetic school or fashionable poetic trend and is not trapped by some sensibility as a “follower.” Stojanović, as a reflective poet of mature thought and discourse, revives the atmosphere of the ancient times even in the first layers of his poems. It is easy to notice what specifically marks Stojanović in Serbian contemporary poetry: In weaving his poems and building his lines, a poet has returned to the antic form of utterance, to the difficult and slow movement of the poetic matter, to the dignified and solemn tone, and that kind of wisdom which was nourished in ancient times.
Far from experiments, challenges of hazards, and poetic adventures, Stojanović’s poems exude the dignity of ancient forms. Like painters' techniques, Stojanović condenses his utterances into short, harmonious poems, most often colored with Mediterranean colors, surprisingly successfully. His poems, almost by a rule, are condensed forms made of short utterances. In the book's second part, the poetic palette becomes darker with an introduction of fantastic and hallucinogenic elements and even apocalyptic tones. Nevertheless, the principle of condensation and consistency of form is never questioned. Apocalyptic scenes and images of evil are expressed in huge blocks that give the impression of the work of an architect or a sculptor. Such are the poems “Vision,” The Chess Board,” “Arrival of Darkness,” and “River of Death,” which all appear as compositions. There is a feeling that Stojanović wrote his poems along with visual compositions; to that extent, visual-imaginative effects are impressive.
Specific, surprisingly original, outside the collectively nurtured sensibilities and fashionable trends, Stojanović is an extraordinary example of creative individualism in a generation that nourished such individualism the least. For that reason, the book Circling is not only an example of an extraordinary poetic achievement, which represents a strong encouragement to the important branch of Serbian poetry but is also an announcement of a moral and spiritual project. This project belongs to the tradition of Serbian poetry and thought in the best sense of the word.
--Alek Vukadinović
Afterward, the first Serbian edition (1993)
Dejan Stojanovic’s poems are astute and spiritual tangents of a circle that comprises the phenomena hidden beyond the direct naming of the world and things in poetic transposition. With his poems, he seeks the borderlines between the content and its metaphysical expression, pure thought about the world and its essence. Passion and complete and easy-flowing devotion to poetry and to the power of words, poetically and semantically, above all, shape his original poetic output.
--Petar V. Arbutina
https://shorturl.at/yICHx
- Published on
Poetry in translation. Translation of Tvoritelj (Serbian edition: 2000)
The Creator (Tvoritelj, 2000) is a collection of poetry by the Serbian-American poet Dejan Stojanović (1959). The book, originally written in Serbian, contains 62 poems in nine sequences: "The Light-Bearer," "Forest of the Universe," "A Talk of Fire," "The Whisper of Eternity," "A Smiling Sky," "Thought and Flight," "Same and Change," "The Dream Chamber," and "Nostalgic Elements."
THE WHITENESS OF THE WORLD AND PAPER
After three poetry books, Circling (1993, 1998, 2000), The Sun Watches the Sun (1999), and The Sign and its Children (2000), Dejan Stojanović once again embarked on a unique adventure of poetic creation. The demiurge challenge, which is at the core of every creation, is doubly realized in this book. With this book, the poet creates his own poetic world—he inhabits a desolate expanse (more specifically, the whiteness of the paper) with spirit and meaning. On the other hand, reaching deep into diachrony, he follows the creation of the real world and space.
The collection of poems Creator mainly consists of short poems; however, on the conceptual and thematic level, it can also be viewed as a unique poetic unit. To highlight the antiquity of the time, which the collection of poems includes (and is there any greater antiquity than the period of the creation of the universe, and thus of our world), Stojanović bases his poetics on the very foundations of man's cognition of the world: water, fire, earth, and air.
Stojanović's, or "Creator's," world is, in a certain way, "the world before the world"—a world that has not yet known itself. This is evidenced by the verses from the poem "Day and Darkness". . . "The silence that no one has heard / The darkness that no one has seen / The sleeping darkness / Waiting for itself."
With the collection of poems, Creator Dejan Stojanović established connections, relationships, and harmony between spirit and matter, giving both their rightful place—the first. Just as an idea cannot be embodied without matter, so poetic inspiration cannot make a work of art for itself until it speaks through the mind and hand of the poet. We could say that The Creator results from a great harmony of the poet's inspiration, mind, and hand that writes the whiteness of the world and paper.
~ Oliver Janković
Borba, 28, 29, 30. 11. 2000
The Creator (Tvoritelj, 2000) is a collection of poetry by the Serbian-American poet Dejan Stojanović (1959). The book, originally written in Serbian, contains 62 poems in nine sequences: "The Light-Bearer," "Forest of the Universe," "A Talk of Fire," "The Whisper of Eternity," "A Smiling Sky," "Thought and Flight," "Same and Change," "The Dream Chamber," and "Nostalgic Elements."
THE WHITENESS OF THE WORLD AND PAPER
After three poetry books, Circling (1993, 1998, 2000), The Sun Watches the Sun (1999), and The Sign and its Children (2000), Dejan Stojanović once again embarked on a unique adventure of poetic creation. The demiurge challenge, which is at the core of every creation, is doubly realized in this book. With this book, the poet creates his own poetic world—he inhabits a desolate expanse (more specifically, the whiteness of the paper) with spirit and meaning. On the other hand, reaching deep into diachrony, he follows the creation of the real world and space.
The collection of poems Creator mainly consists of short poems; however, on the conceptual and thematic level, it can also be viewed as a unique poetic unit. To highlight the antiquity of the time, which the collection of poems includes (and is there any greater antiquity than the period of the creation of the universe, and thus of our world), Stojanović bases his poetics on the very foundations of man's cognition of the world: water, fire, earth, and air.
Stojanović's, or "Creator's," world is, in a certain way, "the world before the world"—a world that has not yet known itself. This is evidenced by the verses from the poem "Day and Darkness". . . "The silence that no one has heard / The darkness that no one has seen / The sleeping darkness / Waiting for itself."
With the collection of poems, Creator Dejan Stojanović established connections, relationships, and harmony between spirit and matter, giving both their rightful place—the first. Just as an idea cannot be embodied without matter, so poetic inspiration cannot make a work of art for itself until it speaks through the mind and hand of the poet. We could say that The Creator results from a great harmony of the poet's inspiration, mind, and hand that writes the whiteness of the world and paper.
~ Oliver Janković
Borba, 28, 29, 30. 11. 2000