“The poet remains everywhere, yet always moves beyond, Chasing mist, the distance, the wisp of a cloud. He is seen the least where most perceive him, And least of all within himself.”
Aleksandar Leso Ivanović, poet
Aleksandar Leso Ivanović, a Montenegrin writer, left behind a relatively small number of poems. However, even with his modest body of work, he managed to leave a significant mark on Montenegrin literature. To illustrate the cultural and historical setting in which he created, it is worth noting that Leso Ivanović was born in Cetinje on November 21, 1911, and passed away in what was then Titograd on October 13, 1965. He wrote during a period marked by turbulent histor ical events, including two world wars and major social transformations that reshaped Montenegro. This era, filled with suffering and the struggle to preserve identity, had a profound impact on his lit erary expression. Few poets dedicated their work to Montenegro. Yet, among this select group, the poetry of Leso Ivanović stands out over time, characterized by melancholic themes of autumn, war, winter, and nature, as well as one of the most significant sym bols of Montenegrin cultural identity—freedom.
If we were to look only at the titles of some of Ivanović’s poems—Ljudi i rijeka (People and the River), U suton (At Dusk), U susret nebu (Towards the Sky), Žalba mrtvom drugu (Lament for a Fallen Friend), Slomljenom oknu (To a Broken Window), Jesen (Autumn)—we would quickly recognize that his poetry is rooted in themes of transience, sorrow, memory, and lethargy. A dominant presence in his work is the motif of lamentation—over Montene gro, past times, and human destinies. His poetry is imbued with a deep sense of nostalgia and melan choly, which is particularly evident in one of his most famous poems, Kari Šabanovi, opening with the verse: sjećanje me lakom tugom ovi (memory envelops me in gentle sorrow). Kari Šabanovi is an emotional lyrical reflection on the passage of time and nostalgia for days gone by. Through powerful symbolism, the poet succeeds in evoking a univer sally recognizable feeling of loss and longing for the past. This motif, prevalent in much of his poetry, places him among those poets who have captured the Montenegrin spirit, intertwining personal emo tion with collective experience.
The poem Potonja ura Rada Tomova (Rade Tomov’s Final Hour) confirms that Ivanović’s work can be characterized as an expression of lamenting rem iniscences. He sings of the desolate Montenegrin karst, of man, autumn, and war. Ivanović’s poetics can best be described through his own metaphors— where wistful eyes are turned toward the world and its people, reflecting his deep introspection and sense of transience. His literary work can be seen as a product of specific cultural and historical circumstances. Although various themes can be identified in his poetry, the semiotic chronotope of the Montenegrin landscape remains deeply rooted in his verses.
Since Montenegrin culture, shaped by historical circumstances, has often been inward-looking and engaged in dialogue primarily with itself rather than with other cultures, we can conclude that Ivanović’s poetics reflect this closed literary framework. His work mirrors the time and conditions from which it emerged, capturing the introspective nature of Montenegrin cultural expression.