Departure Across the Ocean

Abstract

Dimitrijević, Jelena. Na okeanu i preko okeana. Edited by Vladimir Đurić and Biljana Dojčinović. Niš: Faculty of Philosophy, University of Niš; Belgrade: National Library of Serbia, 2024. ISBN: 978-86-7035-529-3. 163 pp.

The poetry collection Na okeanu i preko okeana (On the Ocean and Across the Ocean) by Jelena J. Dimitrijević, written during her journey and stay in the United States in 1919-1920, was published in its entirety for the first time in 2024. These eighteen poems combine the motif of the Ocean as a symbol of eternity, hope and promise, as well as a space for both connection and separation between two worlds – the Old and the New – with depictions of American society and history and images of modern capitalism. The collection oscillates between introspective and travelogue tones, while its central theme remains the feeling of loneliness and non-belonging, which, despite the attempt to “sail into the harbor of oblivion”, cannot be overcome. The publication of the book aligns with the ongoing and growing scholarly interest in the work of Jelena Dimitrijević, further enriching and making her diverse opus more visible, while also making the reading of her travelogue Novi svet, ili U Americi godinu dana (The New World, or A Year in America) more engaging and complete.