Aspazija

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Aspazija was the pen name of Elza Pliekšāne (born Elza Rozenberga; March 16, 1865 – November 5, 1943), a Latvian poet and playwright. Aspazija is the Latvian transliteration of Aspasia.

[edit] Biography

Aspazija was born near Jelgava in 1865, where she studied and was active in youth organizations. In later years she became interested in literature. While participating in New Current (Jaunā strāva) activities, she met one of its leaders, Jānis Pliekšāns (better known as Rainis), a newspaper editor, poet, and lawyer at that time. The couple married in 1897. For a short while they lived in Panevėžys, Lithuania. They were exiled to Russia from 1897–1903, and lived in exile in Switzerland from 1905–1920. When they returned to independent Latvia after World War I, she was active in the feminist movement. Aspazija also joined the Latvian Social Democratic Workers' Party.

Aspazija died near Riga in 1943.

[edit] Literary works

Aspazija's first works are realistic, but most of her work is neo-romantic. Some are a nostalgic look to the past. For example, the play Vaidelote (a female servant to gods in Lithuanian mythology), written in 1894, takes place in the 14th century Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The plays Simple Rights and Unattained Goals provoked many discussions because of their protest against the patriarchal society. The play Silver Veil (Sidraba šķidrauts) is considered to be her best work. In 1923 she wrote a play titled Aspazija.

In the poetry compilation Red Flowers, simple and ordinary things are viewed in a romantic light. At the same time, her poems are full of light, fantasy, and rebellious moods. In Soul's Twilight (1904), pessimistic moods take over.

While living abroad, Aspazija wrote the poetry compilations Sunny Corner and Spread Wings, which have fewer social aspects and more intimate text, less rebellion against society, and more personal feelings.

[edit] Literature

• Stahnke, Astrida B.: Aspazija : her life and her drama. Lanham, Md. : Univ. Press of America, 1984. ISBN 0-8191-3681-6 ; ISBN 0-8191-3682-4. (incl. bibliography)
• Meskova, Sandra: Two mothers of Latvian literature : Aspazija and Anna Brigadere. in: Journal of Baltic studies. ISSN 0162-9778 ; 2003(34):3, s. 276-297
• Nesaule, Agate: What happened to Aspazija? : in search of feminism in Latvia. in: Hecate. ISSN 0311-4198 ; 18(1992):2, s. 112-125