Page:May (Mácha, 1932).djvu/22

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"Yes, we can justly recall here a symphony—that expresses in its movements something of human destiny, and of a picture of life, and whose every movement is a crystallization of a definite feeling, a definite mood or the pic+orization of a definite scene. This identical character of symphonic movements may be seen in the several parts of 'May.' Thus the glorious opening quatrain that is repeated with minor variations at the close of the first, third and fourth part, what is this but a basic theme, resounding in its repetition with the eloquence of an outstanding motive?"

In another part the biographer and student of Macha compares the several parts of the poem to classical operatic or symphonic works and says:

"The opening description of the Spring evening:
'The tranquil moss sighed love's lament,
Love's sorrow shammed the blooming tree,
A nightingale sang love's melody. . . .'

this moves with the playful flow of a sweetly yearning rondo. Similarly conceived is the night prison scene, in the style of a ballad-nocturne. The midnight Intermezzo is wholly related with its mood to the nocturnal visions of Chopin and Schuman. The second intermezzo, 'Where the mountain ranges tower,' would be almost worthless without the rhythmic motive. 'Our Mighty Leader Perished.' Musical inspiration dominates herein completely."

In his concluding remarks about the musical formation of the poem. Krejci pays attention to the insertion of the poet's name, "Hynek," in the last line and interprets this as indicative of the poet's subjective attitude. This, according to F. V. Krejci. is an admission that throughout the poem it is the poet rather than the fictitious characters that are speaking, and once again let me quote Krejci's remarks:

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