AntonTon

Poet, writer, and translator Grigor Vitez (February 15, 1911 – November 23, 1966) was the first Croatian author whose children’s poetry was not only as well written as the most accomplished world works, but who also made Croatian poetry for children as popular as that written for adult readers. Even though there had been laudable children’s poets before Vitez, nobody had made such a qualitative leap with their entire opus like Vitez did. Generally speaking, Croatian children’s poetry was mostly didactic, used themes of little interest, and was replete with ideology. Today, generations of children enjoy Vitez’s Antuntun (AntonTon inthe English translation), the poet’s walking and talking trees, and birds that fly out from the Slavonian fields of Vitez’s childhood, just as much as children growing up in the 1950’smarveled at Vitez’s first collection of poems Prepelica (The Quail). Croatian children’s poetry was in dire need of free play and laughter, and Vitez provided this with his understanding of both sides of the best Croatian traditions, both oral and written. He felt and was carried by the rhythm and themes of traditional epic poetry, free of didactic aims. Vitez enjoyed language games and meanings, forming his own words and according them with the sound and meaning of the whole poem, never just for their own sake. Vitez did not hesitate to use nonsensical verse if it suited his poetics, as well as melodic onomatopoeias, sonorous and harmonious rhymes, and rich imagery. Vitez used a range of themes and motifs, from the plant and animal world, across the numerous hues of human emotions, to abstract mood sketches, all of which portray the richness of the world we are part of. Vitez developed and transformed the best of the Croatian literary tradition to such a degree that he has rightly been dubbed the father of modern Croatian children’s poetry. A teacher by profession, Vitez also worked as a translator, literary critic, editor, and held functions at the Ministry of Education and Croatian Writers’ Association. His repertoire includes more than 500 works for children, many of which have been translated into twenty languages. Diana Zalar, Faculty of Teacher Education, University of Zagreb (Adapted from the Preface to Vitez, Grigor. Nevidljive ptice (Invisible Birds). Zagreb: Mozaik knjiga, 2002.)