On the Edge of Tomorrow
The most prominent voice reflecting the technological changes in everyday life at the end of the 19th century and the evolution of modern Czech literature was the journalist, poet, and writer Jan Neruda (1834–1891). He developed and perfected a relatively new literary form—a feuilleton that lies on the border between commentary and journalism. The feuilleton—a genre in which Neruda penned over two thousand pieces—provided him with a platform to reflect on and critique social changes, new inventions, and progress. Newspapers, as a medium of the new era, technology and fiction intertwine in Neruda’s work, challenging the perception of the 19th century as a slow-paced and distant era.
Cosmic Songs with five original etchings and drawings by Jan Konůpek
A sheet from the manuscript of Cosmic Songs - Part of the original manuscript
Jan Neruda donated the original manuscript of Písně kosmické (Cosmic Songs) to Říp, an association from the town of Roudnice. The manuscript, later referred to as ‘The Roudnice Manuscript,’ includes an additional poem, the 28th in order, which was ultimately excluded from the book edition. The reason remains unclear to this day. According to Ervín Špindler, who published the poem in Podřipan magazine in 1884, Neruda feared that its meaning might not be easily understood. Felix Vodička suggested that the poet wanted to avoid excessive humor, especially since, according to a handwritten note, Neruda had considered placing this poem at the very end of the collection.
