Poetry and the Burden of Creation: Rethinking the Walled Up Woman Folk Topos Through Gendered Lenses

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to present a reinterpretation of the topos of the walled-up  woman in contemporary poetry based on two poems: “Gojkovica” [“Гојковица”] by  Desanka Maksimović (1898–1993) and “Despair” [“Очај”] by Vitomir Vito Nikolić  (1934–1994). Both poems are analyzed in reference to the epic song “The Building of  Skadar”. The interpretation of a folk text in relation to gender relations, as proposed  by Alan Dundes in his monograph The Walled-Up Wife (Dundes, 1996), serves as  a critical reference point for introducing both male and female perspectives in the analysis of those poetic works. This paper argues that key interventions in relation to the primary source include the centering of the lyrical subject – emphasizing individual emotions and existential struggles – and the prioritization of the Gojkovica figure, accompanied by the marginalization of other characters. It concludes that this folk motif, though often regarded as marginal or peripheral, remains a fertile means of expressing the dilemmas of contemporary human experience, particularly those of the poet-creator. Furthermore, it continues to play a vital role in shaping local cultural identities.