Belgium Literature in Dutch Language

By | November 4, 2021

If for Dutch literature we have already mentioned that Ludwigslied which is the original masterpiece, however, other medieval compositions that stand out for their liveliness of representation, such as Lancelot van Danemarken (Lancelot of Denmark) and Beatrijs, as it should be remembered, should not be overlooked. his mystical writings, Jan Ruysbroeck (1293-1381). But it is necessary to go as far as the Renaissance to find a vigorous humanist figure like that of Giusto Lipsio (1547-1606), who wrote in Latin, or a playwright like Joost van den Vondel (1587-1679). Then, for two centuries, Flemish literature hardly exists anymore. Only in the middle of the century. XIX there is a renewal that began to manifest itself in the works of Hendrik Conscience (1812-1883), inspired by a first sentimental nationalism that prepared the greater clarity of Guido Gezelle, a priest who enriched the literary language with elements of his western Flemish dialect, finding a delicate accent for his dramatic religious world. Meanwhile, it was revealing itself in Belgium around the magazine Van Nu en Straks (Of today and tomorrow), founded by August Vermeylen, a new generation of writers, participants in European culture. Among them emerged Stijn Streuvels and Karel van de Woestijne, to whom Expressionist and Dadaist experiments soon acted as a counterpoint – it is enough to quote the poet Paul van Ostaijen – who nevertheless failed to make people forget the tradition, within which Felix Timmermans, author of the adventures of Pallieter (1916), belongs. Contemporary literature, born with the novels of Herman Teirlinck (1879-1967) and sanctioned by the work of Willem Elsschot (1882-1960), Gerard Walschap (1898-1989), Marnix Gijsen (1899-1984) and Louis Paul Boon (1912 -1979), undergoes a renewal thanks to Hugo Claus (b.1929), Ward Ruyslinck (b.1929), Hugo Raes (b.1929), Jef Geeraerts (b.1930), Piet van Aken (1920-1984), Hubert Lampo (b.1920), Ivo Michiels (b.1923), Jos Vandeloo (b.1925) and Paul de Wispelaere (b.1928).

All these authors have nothing to do with the literary tradition considered as typically Flemish, that is to say essentially narrative and rural and narrowly adhering to the themes of everyday life. On the contrary, the new generations are concerned with all the issues that torment modern man, linking political and social problems to the human interest. As regards the cultural climate, the level of literary criticism and that of the editorial organization, a notable gap between Holland and Dutch-speaking Belgium persists even in the post-war period. Indeed, the book market in Flanders continues to be dominated by publishing products from the Netherlands, while at the same time a large part of Flemish literary production fails to win a place on the Dutch market. In addition, according to Ethnicityology, the works of renowned Flemish authors, such as LP Boon and H. Claus, are usually published by Dutch publishing houses. The absence, then, of major publishers and the lack of literary magazines and authoritative critics are the cause of not a few frustrations of the Dutch-speaking Belgian authors. However, there is no lack of reactions to this cultural void, as shown by the works of the generation of writers who matured in the 1970s and by the recent movement of poets called ” they are usually published by Dutch publishing houses. The absence, then, of major publishers and the lack of literary magazines and authoritative critics are the cause of not a few frustrations of the Dutch-speaking Belgian authors. However, there is no lack of reactions to this cultural void, as shown by the works of the generation of writers who matured in the 1970s and by the recent movement of poets called ” they are usually published by Dutch publishing houses.

The absence, then, of major publishers and the lack of literary magazines and authoritative critics are the cause of not a few frustrations of the Dutch-speaking Belgian authors. However, there is no lack of reactions to this cultural void, as shown by the works of the generation of writers who matured in the 1970s and by the recent movement of poets called ” Maximalen “. However, the situation of cultural precariousness has strong repercussions on the technique of Flemish literature. Driven by a strong discomfort as well as social and political as well as cultural, prose ends up being dominated by the subjectivistic tendency of transformation and elaboration of its own language. This is the case of the novels and plays of Paul Koeck (b.1941), but also of the fiction of Piet van Aken (1920-1984) and Lucien Stassaert (b.1939) and finally of the novels and essays of Walter van den Broeck (b. 1941), which testify to a political-social commitment at a high literary level. In the poem the figure of Hugo Claus dominates, but Paul Snoek is also remembered (1933-1981), Hugues C. Pernath (1931-1975), Herman de Coninck and the aforementioned group of “Maximalen”. In this area the contrast between Holland and Belgium is much sharper than in prose. While the poets of the Netherlands favor the intellect, construction and distance, in Flemish poetry, sentiment, emotion and a predominantly Baroque style are favored.

Belgium Literature in Dutch Language