Otakar Březina

Otakar Březina (born Sept. 13, 1868, Počátky, Bohemia, Austria-Hungary [now in Czech Republic]—died March 25, 1929, Jaroměřice nad Rokytnou, Czech.) was a poet who had a considerable influence on the development of 20th-century Czech poetry.

Březina spent most of his life as a schoolmaster in Moravia. Although isolated from public life, he was well informed about the national and international literary movements that influenced the work of many of his contemporaries. His lasting poetical achievement is contained in a lyrical cycle of five books: Tajemné dálky (1895; “The Mysterious Distances”), Svítání na západě (1896; “Dawn in the West”), Větry od pólů (1897; “Polar Winds”), Stavitelé chrámu (1899; “Builders of the Temple”), and Ruce (1901; “Hands”). His earlier poems, which were written under the pseudonym Václav Danšovský, are of less account. His letters to friends during his later years are valuable cultural-historical documents and show a high level of stylistic accomplishment. From a position of metaphysical pessimism Březina advanced to a positive love of humanity and acceptance of life.