Aleksandër Stavre Drenova - Misplaced Pages

(Redirected from Aleksander Stavre Drenova)

Albanian poet, writer and activist

Asdreni
Portrait of Asdreni, 1938
Born	Aleksandër Stavre Drenova (1872-04-11)11 April 1872 Drenovë, Ottoman Empire (current Albania)
Died	11 December 1947(1947-12-11) (aged 75) Bucharest, Romania
Pen name	Asdreni
Occupation	Poet rilindas translator writer
Language	Albanian Romanian
Genre	Realism Romanticism
Literary movement	Albanian Renaissance
Relatives	Stavri Thimiu (father)
Signature

Aleksandër Stavre Drenova (pronounced [alɛkˈsandəɾ staˈvɾɛ dɾɛˈnova]; 11 April 1872 – 11 December 1947), commonly known by the pen name Asdreni, was an Albanian poet, rilindas, translator, writer and the author of the poem which later became the national anthem of Albania. He is regarded as one of the most influential Albanian writers of the 20th century and composed most of his Albanian Renaissance-inspired known works during that period.

Born in the village of Drenovë, Asdreni completed his academic studies at the University of Bucharest in Romania where he enthusiastically committed himself to the Independence of Albania from the Ottoman Empire. He maintained close liaison with fellow Gjergj Fishta and Lasgush Poradeci and was notably inspired by the patriots Girolamo de Rada and Naim Frashëri.

Rreze dielli, a collection of 99 poems, was his first prominent work which he dedicated to the national hero of Albania Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg. Devoted to Edith Durham a friend of Albania, his second collection of again 99 poems, Ëndrra e lotë, displayed a wider range of themes and motifs as well as his more astonishing maturity.

On the 30th of June 2021 the new 10000 Lekë banknote was issued by the Bank of Albania with the main portrait being that of Asdreni.

Biography

Life and career

Asdreni was born as Aleksandër Stavre Drenova on 11 April 1872 into an Albanian peasant family of Eastern Orthodox faith in the village of Drenovë close to the city of Korçë in what was then part of the Ottoman Empire and is now Albania. In his native village he properly received his early formal education at a Greek primary school and had just started secondary school in Korçë subsequently his father, Stavri Thimiu, died leaving him fatherless.

The surrounding region Korçë had been a prime source of Albanian migration which was additionally strengthened by an earthquake in 1879. He consequently migrated to Bucharest in 1885 and rejoined his more elderly brothers where he also commenced his short-living studies at the Faculty of Political Science of the University of Bucharest.

In the new country, Asdreni came into liaison with other Albanian intellectuals and writers with whom he started to strengthen the Albanian diaspora in Romania for the struggle of national liberation. Prior to that, he was strongly inspired by Girolamo de Rada and Naim Frashëri as well as by the Albanian Renaissance in which the Albanians came to acknowledge themselves as a nation deserving the right to govern themselves.

Asdreni died in 1947 in Bucharest. He was initially buried there, at the Sfânta Vineri Cemetery (where Nikolla Naço is also buried), but his remains were brought to Albania and buried in Drenovë in 1974.

Literature

Writings and publication

The literary career of Asdreni blossomed simultaneously with the beginning of the 20th century. In his first work, a collection of 99 poems known as the Rreze dielli dedicated to the Albanian national hero Skanderbeg who led a successful resistance to Ottoman expansion into Europe, he followed the literary traditions of Naim Frashëri and raised his love for the motherland encouraging his compatriots to enter the struggle for liberation from the Ottoman Empire.

Ëndrra e lotë, his second work also composed of 99 poems dedicated to Edith Durham who travelled extensively across Albania, is characterised by a wealth of poetic values. He instantly expressed his democratic values, his interests in societal problems at the time as well as his critical discourses on foreign domination. It was an important step from Romanticism towards Realism which was characterised by the historical time frame and reference, and writing about events and situations that happened in real life.

His poem "Kënga e bashkimit" (The Song of Unity), published in the volume Ëndrra e lotë ("Dreams and tears", 1912), is a clear adaptation of the Romanian song "Hora Unirii" by Vasile Alecsandri.

References

Robert Elsie. "MODERN ALBANIAN LITERATURE AND ITS RECEPTION IN THE ENGLISH-SPEAKING WORLD" (PDF). elsie.de. pp. 6–7.
"Himni kombëtar". 26 October 2009. Archived from the original on 26 October 2009. Retrieved 25 March 2013.
^ Robert Elsie (29 July 2005). "5". Albanian Literature: A Short History. I.B.Tauris, 2005. ISBN 9781845110314.
"1000 Lekë dhe 10000 Lekë". www.bankofalbania.org. Archived from the original on 20 July 2021. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
Arshi Pipa (2014) . Trilogia Albanica III: Albanian Literature: Social Perspectives [Trilogjia Albanika III: Letërsia shqipe: Perspektiva shoqërore]. Translated by Primo Shllaku. Princi. p. 112. ISBN 978-9928-4090-9-6.
Robert Elsie (1997). Histori e Letërsisë Shqiptare. Translated by Abdurrahman Myftiu. Tiranë-Pejë: Dukagjini. pp. 179–180.
https://fjala.info/2009-2015/varrezat-shqiptare-te-bukureshtit/
Robert Elsie, Albanian literature: a short history, 2005, p. 104.

External links

Biography and Poems of Asdreni by Robert Elsie.
Asdreni's works: text, concordances and frequency list (Albanian and English)

v t e Albanian literature
Related articles	Albanian language List of Albanian writers women Albanian folklore History of Albania Albanian National Awakening Albanology
Early authors	Frang Bardhi Zenel Bastari Constantine of Berat Pjetër Bogdani Pjetër Budi Gjon Buzuku Julije Balović Nicola Chetta Nikollë Filja Nezim Frakulla Dalip Frashëri Shahin Frashëri Tahir Efendi Jakova Hasan Zyko Kamberi Haxhi Ymer Kashari Luca Matranga Branko Merxhani Etëhem Bey Mollaj Sulejman Naibi Giuseppe Schirò (archbishop) Tahir Skënderasi Giulio Variboba Muçi Zade Ali Asllani
Classical authors	Josif Bageri Andon Zako Çajupi Gabriele Dara Spiro Dine Asdreni Gjergj Fishta Kristo Floqi Naim Frashëri Sami Frashëri Mihal Grameno Luigj Gurakuqi Milto Sotir Gurra Jolanda Kodra Musine Kokalari Ernest Koliqi Faik Konitza Loni Logori Migjeni Ndre Mjeda Kristo Negovani Ndoc Nikaj Fan Noli Foqion Postoli Girolamo de Rada Francesco Antonio Santori Giuseppe Schirò Giuseppe Serembe Lazër Shantoja Filip Shiroka Stefan Shundi Risto Siliqi Vaso Pasha Jani Vreto Pjetër Zarishi
Modern	Dritëro Agolli Mimoza Ahmeti Ylljet Aliçka Ag Apolloni Fatos Arapi Lindita Arapi Eqrem Basha Domenico Bellizzi Ben Blushi Maria Antonia Braile Flora Brovina Dionis Bubani Aleks Çaçi Martin Camaj Selfixhe Ciu Spiro Çomora Diana Çuli Ibrahim Dalliu Ridvan Dibra Teki Dervishi Elvira Dones Mirko Gashi Fatmir Gjata Ndoc Gjetja Sabri Godo Odhise Grillo Ervin Hatibi Helena Kadare Ismail Kadare Karmel Kandreva Teodor Keko Skifter Këlliçi Anastas Kondo Fatos Kongoli Vath Koreshi Rifat Kukaj Teodor Laço Natasha Lako Luljeta Lleshanaku Sejfulla Malëshova Gjekë Marinaj Petro Marko Din Mehmeti Esad Mekuli Betim Muço Besnik Mustafaj Faruk Myrtaj Jeton Neziraj Fadil Paçrami Ludmilla Pajo Dhimitër Pasko Arshi Pipa Ali Podrimja Lasgush Poradeci Giuseppe Schirò Di Maggio Dhimitër Shuteriqi Azem Shkreli Drago Siliqi Llazar Siliqi Nokë Sinishtaj Xhevahir Spahiu Sterjo Spasse Luan Starova Haki Stërmilli Parid Teferiçi Kasëm Trebeshina Hajro Ulqinaku Ardian Vehbiu Ornela Vorpsi Bilal Xhaferri Dhimitër Xhuvani Jakov Xoxa Injac Zamputi Petraq Zoto

v t e Rilindas
Literature	Andon Zako Çajupi Asdreni Dora d'Istria Filip Shiroka Gabriele Dara Girolamo de Rada Gjergj Fishta Gjergj Qiriazi Giuseppe Serembe Jani Vreto Luigj Gurakuqi Naim Frashëri Naum Veqilharxhi Ndre Mjeda Hil Mosi Abdyl Frashëri Shahin Kolonja Faik Konica Mit'hat Frashëri Parashqevi Qiriazi Shtjefën Gjeçovi Kostandin Kristoforidhi Risto Siliqi Sami Frashëri Sotir Peçi Thimi Mitko Vaso Pasha Zef Jubani
Activists of the Albanian Renaissance

Rilindas

Literature