THE SOCIO-POLITICAL LEXICON IN THE POETRY OF THE ALBANIAN WRITER DRITËRO AGOLLI

Abstract

Dritëro Agolli is one of the best-known poets of contemporary Albanian literature. He is a prolific writer despite the fact that he began writing in early youth. His early verse collections in late 50s introduced him to the public as a gifted writer together with I. Kadare. In addition to being a writer, he has been one of the most active members in the socio-political life of the country, identifying himself as a writer affiliated with a political party who put his talent to good use when it came to ideological issues. He strongly believed in “the communist ideal” on which he had pinned his dreams about himself and his country.

In this article we will talk about the lexicon he uses in his creations which feature party content. Since it is impossible to analyze his whole work we will concentrate on two such typical works written in different political periods, the poem “Mother Albania” (1974) and the volume “The Belated Pilgrim” (1993). Our aim is not merely to highlight the socio-political lexicon he uses, but also through analyses to show its function in his poetry and the mastery of the poet to transform it into a source of expression. Despite the penumbras that have accompanied the writer’s high standing and his poetry, he remains one of the poets who, despite his political commitments, elevated Albanian poetry to new heights.