Publication details
Hlava v makarónské poezii (ČEŠTINA + KOPA JAZYKŮ SVĚTA)
| Title in English | THE HEAD in Macaronic Poetry (Czech + threescore world languages) |
|---|---|
| Authors | |
| Year of publication | 2017 |
| Type | Popularization text |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | By his present new contribution HLAVA v makarónské poezii (čeština + kopa jazyků světa), the renowned anthropologist, archaeologist, poet and writer Jaroslav Malina has aptly supplemented his popular series of encyclopedically conceived publications, wherein he attempts at elucidating, from various points of view, the wide-ranging dimensions of man, society and culture for the interested specialists as well as for the general readership. Like in his other books, the author makes use of an anthropological perspective that he ingeniously combines with the poetic hyperbole, postmodern absurdity and precise language of lexicographic definitions and vocabulary niceties. The main protagonist of his book is the „head phenomenon“ presented by the author in a broad spectrum of diverse linguistic and cultural contexts. The concept of this work, oscillating on the borderline of detached science, belles lettres and poetry is brutally straightforward. The author has proceeded from the assumption that in every language of the world there exist words designating the head and various sayings, proverbs and phrases connected with this notion. For Jaroslav Malina the category of the head appearing in various language forms and cultural contexts has thus become a guide enabling him to competently manner. Because it is the language and the meaning of words or expressions that give the world surrounding us a deeper significance. Thus the new book by Professor Jaroslav Malina offers a unique specimen of the macaronic poetry largely neglected in our present cultural context. The author has made full advantage of his proverbial sense of humour, irony and satire. With remarkable resourcefulness he has been able to select appropriate sayings in sixty languages of the world, to combine them with imaginative Czech verses and erudite factual, historical and linguistic explanatory notes. As a result, we have at our disposal an extraordinarily interesting whole, valuable both with regard to its content and literary qualities, fully capable of addressing, amusing and educating all types of readers. |