Vítězslav Hálek (; 5 April 1835, in
Odolena Voda
Odolena Voda is a town in Prague-East District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 6,200 inhabitants.
Administrative parts
The village of Dolínek is an administrative part of Odolena Voda.
Etymology
The name means ...
– 8 October 1874), also known as Vincenc Hálek, was a
Czech poet, writer, journalist, dramatist and theatre critic.
He is considered one of the most important representatives of the
May School, along with
Jan Neruda
Jan Nepomuk Neruda (Czech: jan ˈnɛpomuk ˈnɛruda 9 July 1834 – 22 August 1891) was a Czech journalist, writer, poet and art critic; one of the most prominent representatives of Czech Realism and a member of the " May School".
Early lif ...
and
Karolína Světlá.
Life
After completing his studies at gymnasium in
Prague
Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...
Hálek refused to go on to study at
seminary
A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy ...
. He didn't finish his philosophical studies and instead decided to become a writer. Beginning in 1861, he worked as an editor in ''Národní listy'', later helping publish newspapers and journals (''Lumír, Zlatá Praha, Květy'' etc.). He worked as a journalist until his death in Prague (1874). He died suddenly of
pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severit ...
.
Style
In his time, his writing was very popular, in part due to his optimistic and relaxed writing style.
Notable works
* ''Večerní písně'' (''Evening Songs''), 1859
* ''V přírodě'' (''In the Nature''), 1872
*Antonín Dvořák, Vítězslav Hálek: The Heirs of the White Mountain, Op. 30, B 134
See also
*
Vítězslav Hálek Memorial, Prague
References
External links
*
*
Czech info
1835 births
1874 deaths
People from Odolena Voda
People from the Kingdom of Bohemia
Czech poets
Czech male poets
19th-century Czech people
19th-century poets
19th-century male writers
Burials at Vyšehrad Cemetery
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