Contemporary Lithuanian Literature between the Western and Eastern European Tradition
Contemporary Lithuanian Literature between the Western and Eastern European Tradition

Summary/Abstract: The discussion about the place and time of origin of contemporary Lithuanian literature has been taking place in Lithuanian culture and literature for about a century. It began in the period of the first Lithuanian independence and has not yet come to a stop to this day. One of the first initiators of this discussion – the authoritative Lithuanian modernist Kazys Binkis (1893–1942) – had called the patriarch of Lithuanian poetry, Maironis (real name Jonas Mačiulis (1962–1932), to an ideological duel. Discussion began with bitter poetic lines proposing to kick Maironis’ poetry aside and accept the challenges of the art of the modernist epoch. “Enough to sweeten the hearts / And to the sore places / Lay the packages of compromises“ (Binkis 1955: 72), told Binkis in a poem “Salem Aleikum”. It seemed important for Binkis and his followers to participate in the movement of modern European art, to respond to its challenges, and we couldn’t say that they were not successful.

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