Odraz ľudovej piesne v ponáškach Janka Kráľa

Reflection of a folk song in a syncretic genre “ponáška” of Janko Kráľ

Slovak folklore played an important role in the Slovak national revival movement in the 19th century. Incorporating the elements of folk songs in poetry meant simplifying the language, substituting classical verses for syllabic ones, thus proceeding to a new romantic era. The authors were able to introduce and disseminate revolutionary ideas to common people in a comprehensible way. That is how “ponáška” - a syncretic genre of poems resembling to folk songs - was created. The aim of this paper is to analyse the similarities and differences of Slovak folk songs and “ponášky” to describe this syncretic genre more closely. Initially, basic features of Slovak folk songs - parallelism, natural imagery, typical repetitive motifs, importance of form - are presented. These are then identified in the interpretations of poems “Žíznim, mám studničku”, “Krajinská pieseň” and “Verše” by a major author of the syncretic genre: Janko Kráľ. The analysed texts resemble authentic folk songs both in form and meaning. The author uses isosyllabic verses to fit folk song melodies; incorporates traditional natural and social motifs; and most of all, applies the parallelism at all levels (form, content, and composition). On the other hand, the unique author's contribution in distinguishing ponáška from folk song is manifested in various means. He reflects the historical and social context in strong agitating images of “Krajinská pieseň”; or uses the theme of un-freedom, which is atypical for folklore. However, the crucial difference is a result of a perceptible and heartfelt dive into the lyrical subject, who experiences feelings typical of a romantic hero, such as loneliness, misunderstanding, even conflict.