The history of Czech poetry goes as far back as the 9th century. It begins with the works of Saints Cyril and Methodius, who translated texts in the bible from Greek to Old Church Slavic, a language in which the first Czech poems were written. Since then, Czech poetry continued to flourish, even when the chosen languages of the Czechs continued to face challenges throughout the centuries. The apparent culmination of Czech poetic culture is of a poem, Máj, written by Karel Hynek Mácha.
Antonin Dvořák
The Life and Compositions of Antonin Dvorak, who had a great talent for melody and including Czech culture in his music, created works of art that captivated his listeners. His life’s work began at the age of 12 when he studied harmony, the piano, and the organ to write Polka music. As his skills grew, so did his network of famous and accomplished fellow musicians, including Johannes Brahms and Tchaikovsky.
Jiří Karásek: Czech Decadence Writer (1871-1951)
Jiří Karásek ze Lvovic was a unique individual, whose name is even somewhat unique. He was fascinated with death as a child and the occult as an adult. He wrote poetry and critique, collected art and co-founded a magazine, the Moderni Revue. When homosexuality was illegal in Czechoslovakia, he was openly gay and was an activist in the LGBT community of the time.