Jump to content

Vahé Oshagan: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
→‎References: Add persondata short description using AWB
Corrected and edited text. Added new data and bibliography
Line 1: Line 1:
'''Vahé Oshagan''' ({{lang-hy|Վահե Օշական}}, [[Western Armenian]] Վահէ Օշական born in [[Plovdiv, Bulgaria]] in 1922 – d. in [[United States]] June 30, 2000) was an [[Armenia|Armenian]] poet, writer, literary critic.
'''Vahé Oshagan''' (Վահէ Օշական) ([[Plovdiv, Bulgaria]] 1922 – [[Philadelphia]] June 30, 2000) was an [[Armenia|Armenian]] poet, writer, literary critic.


== Life ==
== Life ==


Vahé Oshagan was born in 1922. His father, [[Hagop Oshagan]], was a prominent writer and critic. Raised in [[Jerusalem]] and [[Cyprus]], he studied in France and received a doctorate in comparative literature from the [[University of Sorbonne]], in Paris.
Vahé Oshagan was born in 1922. His father, [[Hagop Oshagan]], was a prominent writer and critic. Raised in [[Cairo]], [[Jerusalem]], and [[Cyprus]], he studied in France and received a doctorate in comparative literature from the [[University of Sorbonne]], in Paris.


Like many Armenians, whose villages and homes were destroyed by the Turks in 1915, Oshagan drifted throughout the Middle East and Europe, never finding a permanent home. He lived in Beirut after 1952 and taught philosophy and psychology, as well as Armenian, French and English literature. He was again uprooted at the start of the Lebanese civil war in 1975 and forced to move to [[Philadelphia]], where he taught at the [[University of Pennsylvania]] from 1976-1982. The American cityscape became a focus of his work, as exemplified by his volume ''Alert'' (Ահազանգ) (1980).
He lived in Middle East for many years and taught philosophy and psychology, as well as Armenian, French and English literature.


In the 1990s, he taught at the University of Stepanakert during the war of Karabagh. He later lectured at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia, from 1993-1998. He was a prolific contributor of the Armenian press in the Diaspora, from Beirut to California, during half a century. His essays on literary, cultural, and political issues may fill several volumes.
At the start of the Lebanese civil war in 1975, he moved to [[Philadelphia]], PA (U.S.), where he taught at the [[University of Pennsylvania]]. It was there that he published his volume of poetry entitled ''"Ahazank"'', which mentions many streets and landmarks of Philadelphia.

Like many Armenians, whose villages and homes were destroyed by the Turks in 1915, Vahe Oshagan drifted throughout the Middle East, Europe and the United States, never finding a permanent home.


== Literary output==
== Literary output==
Vahe Oshagan, who also wrote short stories and novels, "reformed Armenian poetry by rejecting its imposed formality, which shunned the concerns of daily life and themes of alienation and loss." <ref>Chris Hedges, "Vahe Oshagan, 78, Pioneer of a New Armenian Poetry," The New York Times, July 9, 2000</ref> He often wrote in colloquial language and was for many the voice of the Armenian diaspora. His second book, ''The City'' (Քաղաքը), published in 1963, became "the most radical book of Armenian poetry in the 20th century," according to Marc Nichanian, a former professor of Armenian studies at [[Columbia University]]. <ref>Chris Hedges, "Vahe Oshagan, 78, Pioneer of a New Armenian Poetry," The New York Times, July 9, 2000</ref>


He was heavily influenced by French [[existentialists]] and had little time for those who dismissed modernity as a corruption of traditional values.<ref>Chris Hedges, "Vahe Oshagan, 78, Pioneer of a New Armenian Poetry," The New York Times, July 9, 2000</ref>. "Oshagan was a living paradox: a rebel, a champion of individual liberty, and a one-man repository of his nation's rich heritage. He saw in the survival and creativity of his people reason to dispel their fears and confusions, and offer real hope for the future." <ref> Lawrence Joffe, "Obituary: Vahe Oshagan," The Guardian, July 21, 2000</ref>
Vahe Oshagan, who also taught and wrote short stories and literary criticism, reformed Armenian poetry by rejecting its imposed formality, which shunned the concerns of daily life and themes of alienation and loss.{{cn|date=October 2011}} He often wrote in colloquial language and was for many the voice of the Armenian diaspora. His first volume of poetry, ''Kaghak'' (''The City''), was published in Beirut in 1963.
⚫
He was also the editor in chief of the literary journal ''Raft: an Annual of Poetry and Criticism,'' between 1987 and 1998. The journal published English translations of Armenian poetry, as well as essays and reviews.
⚫
Many leading critics considered Oshagan the most important Armenian-language poet in exile. Nichanian has called Vahe Oshagan "the most important poet of his generation." According to him, "for a long time his work was not even accepted as poetry. He had a hard time imposing himself as poet." <ref>Chris Hedges, "Vahe Oshagan, 78, Pioneer of a New Armenian Poetry," The New York Times, July 9, 2000</ref>


⚫
None of Vahe Oshagan's work has been published in English. A translation of his book ''Alert'' by British poet Peter Reading awaits publication.
He was heavily influenced by French [[existentialists]] and had little time for those who dismissed modernity as a corruption of traditional values.{{cn|date=October 2011}}


⚫
==Selected works==
== Critical opinion of his work==
* ''Պատուհան'' (Window), 1956
* ''Քաղաք'' (The City), 1963
* ''Քառուղի'' (Crossroads), 1971)
* ''Ահազանգ'' (Alert), 1980
* ''Խուճապ'' (Panic), 1983
* ''Փախստականը'' (The Fugitive), 1987
* ''Թակարդին շուրջ'' (Around the Trap), 1988
* ''Դէպի ինքնութիւն'' (Towards Identity)


Many leading critics considered Oshagan the most important Armenian-language poet in exile.


{{reflist}}
⚫
Marc Nichanian, a former professor of Armenian studies at [[Columbia University]], has called Vahe Oshagan "the most important poet of his generation". According to Nichanian, "for a long time his work was not even accepted as poetry. He had a hard time imposing himself as poet". He adds that ''The City'' was "the most radical book of Armenian poetry in the 20th century".


⚫
None of Vahe Oshagan's work has been published in English. The British poet Peter Reading recently translated one of his best-known works, a book of poems written in 1980 called ''Ahazank'' or "Alarm", but it still awaits publication.

In his stark and desperate poem ''Alert'', published in 1980, Vahe Oshagan wrote:
<blockquote>
Each passing minute is my first and last<br>
I must grab the last human<br>
And wrench some utterance from his mouth.
</blockquote>
⚫
He was also the editor in chief of the literary journal ''RAFT: an Annual of Poetry and Criticism'', for eleven years. The journal publishes English translations of Armenian poetry.

⚫
==Selected works==
* ''Kaghak'', 1963
* ''Ahazank'', 1980
* ''Tebi Inknoutioun'''
* ''Tagartin Shourch'', 1986
* ''Khoujab''


==References==
==References==
Line 49: Line 41:
| SHORT DESCRIPTION = Armenian poet
| SHORT DESCRIPTION = Armenian poet
| DATE OF BIRTH = 1922
| DATE OF BIRTH = 1922
| PLACE OF BIRTH =
| PLACE OF BIRTH = Plovdiv
| DATE OF DEATH = June 30, 2000
| DATE OF DEATH = June 30, 2000
| PLACE OF DEATH =
| PLACE OF DEATH = Philadelphia
}}
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oshagan, Vahe}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oshagan, Vahe}}

Revision as of 22:31, 30 March 2014

Vahé Oshagan (Վահէ Օշական) (Plovdiv, Bulgaria 1922 – Philadelphia June 30, 2000) was an Armenian poet, writer, literary critic.

Life

Vahé Oshagan was born in 1922. His father, Hagop Oshagan, was a prominent writer and critic. Raised in Cairo, Jerusalem, and Cyprus, he studied in France and received a doctorate in comparative literature from the University of Sorbonne, in Paris.

Like many Armenians, whose villages and homes were destroyed by the Turks in 1915, Oshagan drifted throughout the Middle East and Europe, never finding a permanent home. He lived in Beirut after 1952 and taught philosophy and psychology, as well as Armenian, French and English literature. He was again uprooted at the start of the Lebanese civil war in 1975 and forced to move to Philadelphia, where he taught at the University of Pennsylvania from 1976-1982. The American cityscape became a focus of his work, as exemplified by his volume Alert (Ահազանգ) (1980).

In the 1990s, he taught at the University of Stepanakert during the war of Karabagh. He later lectured at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia, from 1993-1998. He was a prolific contributor of the Armenian press in the Diaspora, from Beirut to California, during half a century. His essays on literary, cultural, and political issues may fill several volumes.

Literary output

Vahe Oshagan, who also wrote short stories and novels, "reformed Armenian poetry by rejecting its imposed formality, which shunned the concerns of daily life and themes of alienation and loss." [1] He often wrote in colloquial language and was for many the voice of the Armenian diaspora. His second book, The City (Քաղաքը), published in 1963, became "the most radical book of Armenian poetry in the 20th century," according to Marc Nichanian, a former professor of Armenian studies at Columbia University. [2]

He was heavily influenced by French existentialists and had little time for those who dismissed modernity as a corruption of traditional values.[3]. "Oshagan was a living paradox: a rebel, a champion of individual liberty, and a one-man repository of his nation's rich heritage. He saw in the survival and creativity of his people reason to dispel their fears and confusions, and offer real hope for the future." [4] He was also the editor in chief of the literary journal Raft: an Annual of Poetry and Criticism, between 1987 and 1998. The journal published English translations of Armenian poetry, as well as essays and reviews. Many leading critics considered Oshagan the most important Armenian-language poet in exile. Nichanian has called Vahe Oshagan "the most important poet of his generation." According to him, "for a long time his work was not even accepted as poetry. He had a hard time imposing himself as poet." [5]

None of Vahe Oshagan's work has been published in English. A translation of his book Alert by British poet Peter Reading awaits publication.

Selected works

  • Պատուհան (Window), 1956
  • Քաղաք (The City), 1963
  • Քառուղի (Crossroads), 1971)
  • Ահազանգ (Alert), 1980
  • Խուճապ (Panic), 1983
  • Փախստականը (The Fugitive), 1987
  • Թակարդին շուրջ (Around the Trap), 1988
  • Դէպի ինքնութիւն (Towards Identity)


  1. ^ Chris Hedges, "Vahe Oshagan, 78, Pioneer of a New Armenian Poetry," The New York Times, July 9, 2000
  2. ^ Chris Hedges, "Vahe Oshagan, 78, Pioneer of a New Armenian Poetry," The New York Times, July 9, 2000
  3. ^ Chris Hedges, "Vahe Oshagan, 78, Pioneer of a New Armenian Poetry," The New York Times, July 9, 2000
  4. ^ Lawrence Joffe, "Obituary: Vahe Oshagan," The Guardian, July 21, 2000
  5. ^ Chris Hedges, "Vahe Oshagan, 78, Pioneer of a New Armenian Poetry," The New York Times, July 9, 2000


References

Armenian Wikisource has original text related to this article:

Template:Persondata

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Vahé_Oshagan&oldid=602022571"