Shirim

Born of humble parentage in the Ukraine, HayymNahman Bialik went to Odessa in 1891, where he was a teacher and a publisher. He was influenced by early Zionist ideas, particularly those of Ahad Ha-Am, and lived in various places in Europe, writing and teaching.

By the time Bialik settled in Tel Aviv in 1924, his fame had become legendary. Bialik brought about a revolution in Hebrew poetry, avoiding European trends and drawing inspiration from early Hebrew literature. In prophetic, rhetorical poems of national revival, Bialik identified himself with the fate of his people and called upon Jews to express pride in their heritage and to resist the Russian pogroms.

The crises of his generation were not Bialik's only themes, however; he wrote many lyric poems of a personal character and about nature. He also wrote short stories, translated into Hebrew works by such authors as Cervantes, Shakespeare, and Heinrich Heine, and wrote a variety of essays on Hebrew literature, language, style, and culture. Israel's highest literary prize and an Israeli publishing house are named for Bialik.

Bialik died in 1934.

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