Children’s poetry in the Zadar’s bulletin for children prijatelj malenih, 1915-1917

Abstract

The paper analyzes the content of the children’s Eucharistic bulletin Prijatelj malenih, launched in Zadar in 1915 and published until 1917. The editor was a Franciscan, Hugolin Didon (supported by the Archbishop of Zadar Vinko Pulišić in the first issue), with the publishing being intended “for small clerks and clerks of the Blessed Sacrament, for young Croatian learners from Christian families of both sexes”. We interpret the literary articles on religious and educational topics signed by associates under pseudonyms: Rosanda, Anjeza, Tiehomir f…, Levina, Karla, Pere Milošev, A. Kontin and others. The collaboration of Ljubimir Jurić is emphasized, once a superintendent in Biograd, and later in Zadar at Voštarnica. He was a consistent and the most productive author of predominantly occasional children’s poetry in a religiously oriented newspaper, having also created content of instructive and entertaining character. In accordance with the instructive-oriented Catholic doctrine, many topics are discussed: the life of Jesus, the lives of saints, diligence, selflessness, patriotism, war, obedience, etc.