Brod u boci: Pjesme i šansone
The first collection of poems and chansons by Arsen Dedić, published in 1971, compiled by Zvonimir Golob. It went through eight editions by 1988, making it one of the best-selling poetry books in contemporary Croatian literature.
The collection reveals Dedić's poetic talent before he became famous as a singer-songwriter. The songs are deeply personal, intertwined with elements of chanson, combined with lyricism, romance and subtle irony. The key themes are the duality of identity – the gap between his Dalmatian homeland (Šibenik, the sea, Mediterranean melancholy) and Zagreb's urban life, Yugoslavia and Europe. Dedić's irony, "a small and gentle sarcasm", binds the opposites: he is "one hundred percent Dalmatian and one hundred percent Zagrebian".
The collection unfolds Dedić's world – the world of childhood, love, existential fears and miracles. Two poems entitled "Miracles" earned him the label of a "religious poet", although Golob emphasized his broader cultural depth in the preface: "Arsen's case is instructive and proves that those whom we so clumsily call the general public know and can support more serious tendencies within entertainment."
Poems like the title track "Brod u boci" evoke intimate comparisons: "Allow this simple gift, this simple comparison: a ship in a bottle – a sailing ship of an indeterminate type... Isn't that like...", a symbol of dreams trapped in reality.
The collection is a bridge between poetry and music, influencing generations, reminding us that "Croatia exists as long as Slobodna Dalmacija, Arsen Dedić and 'Brod u boci' exist".
One copy is available
