Gundulić, Ivan

Gundulić, Ivan jōvänˈnē gōndəˈlä [key], 1588–1638, Croatian poet. Born in Ragusa (Dubrovnik) of an aristocratic Dalmatian family, he became chief magistrate of Ragusa. In his early work he imitated Italian models. His greatest work, the epic poem Osman (1626), concerning the Polish wars against the Turks, reveals early Slavic nationalism and shows the influence of ancient native song. Possessing great lyric ability, Gundulić was considered the foremost figure of the South Slav literary renaissance.

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