Jovan Grčić Milenko facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jovan Grčić Milenko
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| Born | Jovan Grčić 15 November 1846 Čerević, Austria-Hungary |
| Died | 25 May 1875 (aged 29) Fruška Gora, Kingdom of Hungary (modern-day Serbia) |
| Occupation | Poet |
| Nationality | Austrian |
| Education | University of Vienna |
Jovan Grčić Milenko (Serbian Cyrillic: Јован Грчић Миленко; 15 November 1846 – 25 May 1875) was a Serbian poet, writer, and doctor. He was known for his fresh and beautiful lyrical poetry. His poems often described nature in a vivid way. He also translated famous writers like Goethe and Schiller into Serbian. He even translated his own poems into German.
Contents
A Young Poet's Life Story
Jovan Grčić was born on November 15, 1846, in a village called Čerević. This village is in Srem, Vojvodina, which was part of Austria-Hungary back then. He was the oldest of three children. His parents were Todor and Ana Grcki. His father, Todor, was a merchant who sadly died when Jovan was very young, in 1850. This meant his mother had to raise Jovan and his two younger siblings, Djordje and Katica.
Jovan went to school in different places. He learned Serbian in Čerević. He also studied German in cities like Petrovaradin, Szeged, and Bratislava.
Starting His Writing Journey
In 1863, Jovan Grčić began his exciting journey as a poet. He wrote many poems in a short time. Over five years, he published five books of poems and three short stories. His very first poem, "Ne boj mi se" (Fear me not), appeared in a magazine called Danica in 1863. He regularly contributed to this magazine, often with translations from German, between 1864 and 1867.
Instead of going straight to university, Jovan went back home to Čerević. There, he met a young woman named Milena Stefanović and fell in love. Through her family, he met other important writers of his time. These included Jovan Jovanović Zmaj and Laza Kostić.
A Name Changed by Love and Loss
Milena Stefanović died suddenly when she was only 16 years old. This happened while Jovan was away, getting ready for his medical studies. Milena's death deeply shocked and saddened him. He began to write many poems dedicated to her memory. He even wrote: "From your name 'Mileno' .... I baptize myself 'Milenko'."
Because of his love for Milena, he changed his last name from Grčki to Grčić. He also added her name to his, becoming known as Jovan Grčić-Milenko.
Medical Studies and Early Death
In 1867, Jovan moved to Vienna to study medicine at the University of Vienna. Sadly, he became very ill there. He had to stop his studies before he could graduate. In 1873, he returned to his home village of Čerević. However, his illness, which was tuberculosis, got much worse.
A family friend, Abbot German, helped him. He took Jovan to the Beočin monastery in Fruška Gora. There, Jovan could get better medical care. He died at the monastery on May 25, 1875, when he was only 29 years old. He was buried near the entrance of the monastery. Many people attended his funeral, including his doctor friends and famous writers like Jovan Jovanović Zmaj.
His Stories and Their Magic
While Jovan Grčić Milenko was best known for his beautiful poems, he also wrote some interesting short stories. These stories often had fantastic or magical elements in them. Some of his well-known short stories include:
- U gostionici kod Poluzvezde na imendanu šantavog torbara (1868)
- Sremska ruža (1868-1869)
- Zmijina košuljica (1868)
These stories were published by Matica srpska, a publishing house in Novi Sad.
His Lasting Impact
Jovan Grčić Milenko is often called the "Nightingale of Fruška Gora." This nickname shows how much people loved his lyrical poetry. His works are still included in many collections of Serbian poetry and literary history books. There is even a school in his hometown of Beočin named after him, the Elementary school Jovan Grčić Milenko.
Selected Works
- Pesme. Spevao ih Milenko (1869)
- U gostionici kod 'Polu zvezde' na imendan šantavog torbara (1868)
- Sremska ruža (1868-1869)
- Mozaik (1875-1876)
- Zorana Opačić, Anthology Of serbian Children's Poetry before the Period of Zmaj's Poetry.
