The Dubrovnik Landscape and Images of Baroque Dubrovnik in Dučić’s Narrative and Metaphysical Poetry

Abstract

In this article we intend to examine the synthesis of Dučić's experience of the Mediterranean world, above all of Dubrovnik and the Dubrovnik hinterland, from where he comes and to which his whole life has been closely linked. Our research will be based on the hypothesis that, in order to understand Dučić's lyrical opus corectly, it is not enough to consider only the characteristics of its form and content, but also to gain serious and comprehensive insights into all aspects of the poet's spiritual development and literary engagement. First of all it is important to define cultural-historical atmosphere of the time and space in which Dučić's has lived and worked. For the purpose of our research, we will analyze two thematically diverse poetic cycles by Dučić: the Adriatic Sonnets and the Dubrovnik Poems. Through their landscape motifs and scenes from Baroque Dubrovnik, we shall determine their roles in interpreting Dučić's experience of the Mediterranean world in his metaphysical and narrative poetry.