Kazys Binkis - Literary Works

Literary Works

The heritage of Binkis's works is not large, but in all fields he achieved significant results. He wrote humorous and satirical poems, rhymed feuilletons, and published poetry books for children.

In 1920 his first collection of poems Eilėraščiai (The Poems) was published. This collection of lyrical poems is one of the best works of Lithuanian poetry of this time. During the studies in Berlin Binkis was influenced by modernist poetry and he created modernist Keturi vėjai (Four Winds) literary movement. Keturi vėjai did not leave great literary works but broke the rutine, brought new literary forms, and this way made big impact on Lithuanian poetry. In 1923 (second edition in 1926) he published his second, futurist, collection of poems 100 pavasarių (One Hundred Springs). He created Keturi vėjai and he left it one of the first. From 1927 to 1931 Binkis published humorous poems in various periodicals, some of them were published as separate books. Tamošius Bekepuris ir kitos Alijošiaus dainuškos was published in 1928, Kriaučius Motiejus (Tailor Motiejus) was published in 1947.

He debuted as a play writer in 1938 with a piece Atžalynas (The Undergrowth). Encouraged by the success of his debut, he started writing a new play Generalinė repeticija (Dress Rehearsal) which he did not complete. Generalinė repeticija has bigger ambitions, different form, and composition. Generalinė repeticija was first time staged abroad, in Hanau camp in 1948, and first time published in 1958 in Pergalė journal. In Lithuania it was first time staged in 1959 (Ostrauskas:1997).