Koçi Petriti is commemorated/ the prominent poet and academic from Korça

2024-04-20 21:54:00, Kulturë CNA

Koçi Petriti is commemorated/ the prominent poet and academic from

Poet and researcher Koçi Petriti

Today, a commemorative event was held in the library of Korça on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the death of the famous poet from Korça, Koçi Petriti.

Family members, relatives, friends and well-wishers have participated in this ceremony, in honor of the poet who has made an extraordinary contribution in the field of literature and culture, leaving deep traces.

Koçi Petriti belongs to the generation of poets of the 1960s, who changed the fate of Albanian literature.

Despite the fact that Koçi Petriti came with this wave of poets, he stood out with his unique character and style, taking sure steps in building the foundations of Albanian poetry.

The Kor?ar poet is a master of lyricism. He chose this stream as a costume that best suited his artistic image. Koçi Petriti chose to sing about love, beauty, the girl and the kiss, with simple lines that penetrate the soul. Despite his eternal departure, his work remains unforgettable, following art lovers on a spiritual journey.

Koçi Petriti

At the memorial ceremony, those present performed selected verses of the love poet, bringing the artist back to that hall, this time, not physically, but through his invaluable contribution, to evoke impenetrable emotions.

Many of the famous figures of the city present at the ceremony, in their speech, brought back the most beautiful memories with the poet of love. Starting with professors from Fan Noli University, his colleagues from the time when he was a teacher in Librazhd, and without forgetting family members and relatives.

Korça poet Albina Trebicka, a colleague of Koçi Petrit at the time when they were both teachers, tells Cna TV about the special emotions and nostalgia she experienced in this tribute. "Verses spring from your smile and eyes" - this phrase said by Koçi, has left a mark on Albina, who considers it as an omen, which preceded the publication of her three books.

Albina Trebicka

"It is a great pleasure that today I find myself in this moment so emotional so nostalgic so sensitive.

Because I knew Koçi directly when I was in Librazhd where we both spent our youth years as teachers in that district.

He was a special, calm, very kind person, he always promised to help, and I only remembered one detail when he said that your smile and eyes make verses.

I didn't understand it then, but now that I have published three books, it seems to me that he was a good omen who predicted my future. I am very proud to have known him closely," she said.

Albina Trebicka says that the city misses Koçi Petriti a lot, although she emphasizes that he is still alive with his works.

"I have known him through poetry and then directly and he is still alive in his works. Every time I go to Librazhd, under the bridge I say here is the Bushtrica bridge, here is the Drashovica bridge and so on. I see all the bridges from the Bushtrica bridge. And he is alive every time I leave and every time I come", she said to CNA TV.

The teacher of Albanian language and literature, and at the same time Petrit's nephew, Erget Cenolli, excitedly showed the role that his uncle had in his life. For Cenolli, Koçi Petriti is not only a great poet, but also a researcher of Albanian literature, creating his theories of literary methodology, while his artistic greatness was revealed in everyday life, as a man who radiated kindness and conveyed positivity to everyone.

Erget Cenolli, teacher

"For me Koçi Petriti is a poet, he is a teacher and then he is my relative, my uncle. He has influenced my formation in my literary tastes and teaching methods.

Koçi Petriti was, as was said here, a great poet who created his special face in Albanian literature, which will always remain, who created his theories of literary methodology as a researcher of Albanian literature and as a person who always radiated kindness and positivity," said his grandson.

Cenolli says that Koçi Petriti left this life quickly, although he had a lot to give in all the fields where he contributed.

"Koçi Petriti ran away quickly. He had a lot to give in all fields including poetry and literary studies and teaching.

That's why we feel his absence today, but the participation of these people fills the void left by his departure", he said.

The auditoriums where Koçi Petriti taught were always full, young people were interested in listening to him and responding to his extraordinary dedication. This is evidenced by his colleague, Prof. Dr. Ali Jashari, one of the most outstanding personalities in the academic field.

Prof. Dr. Ali Jashari

"I have had the good fortune to know Professor Koçi Petrit closely. We are saying that in addition to being a poet and man of letters who stood out for a long time and his letters and works remained written, Professor Koçi was a diligent and skilled researcher of literature, especially in the field of poetry and literary theory.

I had the opportunity to collaborate with Professor Koçin when he was a guest lecturer at our university in the Faculty of Philology Education and I noticed his dedication and his teaching skills that made the students his own in his theory of literature, especially with the work "World of Words", "Pandora's Box" which is one of the best achievements in the field of writing for the theory of literature.

I remember that the auditorium where professor Koçiu taught was full. "Maybe he attracted with the sweet words with the way he explained and so on", said the professor.

Professor Jashari shows that Koçi Petriti has left a void in the academic and literary world, but the works he left behind have remained and immortalize his figure.

"This activity today was a tribute to all those who knew him closely and to Korca, to which he belongs.

It seems to me that Professor Koçiu passed away yesterday. In this case, for figures like Professor Koçiu, the work has remained and perpetuates the outstanding figure", he said.

During the ceremony, as a sign of thanks and respect for the figure of Koçi Petriti, 2 songs were sung, the lyrics of which were written by the poet, which evoked immense emotions among those present.

The poet's son, Ergysi, who inherited the same love for poetry, was also seen in tears.

Ergys Petriti

Ergys Petriti says that he feels very excited and very honored for this appreciation that his hometown gave to his father. With notes of humor, Ergysi says that the deceased would have liked this ceremony as well, although two completely different characters, and here he shows the many virtues that accompany his father.

"I am very excited and honored for this honor that the city of Korça gave my brother. I told him that if he had been there, he would have liked it very much.

I am the opposite in nature to him. He was a talker, he could talk for hours with a beautiful passion and hold the audience, keep their ears open, he was very interesting when he spoke and it was one of his most special things both in high school and in faculty.

Every time I went to meet him, I found the halls full of students who were interested. It was a very beautiful ceremony. I liked it very much.

I thank the library of Korça, my close people and all the participants who said many interesting words.

The conversations we had with each other got me interested in poetry early on and over time I became a qualified reader of poetry. I would open a book and look at it with the first one, is it worth reading or not.

And I know the good poetry of the country, of the foreign country. I got all this from him. Despite the fact that I have no affinity with letters", said his son.

Ergysi often meets his father's friends, who tell him the memories they have with Koçi, not hiding the longing they feel and the desire to have him with them once again. The most important for Ergysi remains the series of literary works that his father left for the readers, who have the opportunity to recognize Koçi Petriti between the skillfully created verses.

An interesting fact that Koçi Petriti's son remembers from the poet's life comes to light here. Although he was writing and creating all the time, Ergysi thought it would be a full volume book, but a small book came out in the end. This is a fact that shows the great and tireless work that was hidden behind the small book, but that today is a treasure for all readers, who through the lines travel between pain or joy, that evoke memories and touch the soul.

"I miss this, I know, and I also talk to his friends, a good part of whom I have known. Every time I meet them, they talk to me fondly, bring me memories of meetings with him, it seems that they miss him too. I visit the city very rarely. I saw from what I heard I feel that there is a lack of him.

If he had moved here, he would have completed this part for the city of Korça, but life pushed him elsewhere. In my creativity, there is good poetry, because it has feeling, it has verse, it has chosen words. he has a rhythm. He worked all night, it seemed as if he was doing whole volumes and after years he published only one book. He was extremely demanding until he published something as he thought.

With the passing of 20 years, he returned to the beginning and looked at the same poem he had written at the age of 30-35 with different eyes. I have the impression that if he were alive, he would continue to rework his best poems", says his son.

But who was Koçi Petriti beyond the confessions of friends and family?

Koçi Petriti is commemorated/ the prominent poet and academic from

In one of the rare interviews that he has given, with modesty and love he tells about his journey in literature, and he expressed the same love for his profession as a teacher, to convey the light of knowledge to the generations.

The simplicity and kindness in his words proves every word said by well-wishers about the immortality of Koçi Petriti.

The lyric poet was born in 1941 in Sovjan, Korça. He completed primary and secondary school in Korça. After a short period of work as a teacher, he earned the right to study at the Faculty of History and Philology at the University of Tirana, where in 1967 he graduated in Albanian language and literature, which, apart from his passion, seems to be his mission on this earthly journey. .

After graduating from the faculty, after completing 2 years of military service, he was appointed a teacher in Librazhd. In 1990, he was appointed to the department of young talents at the League of Writers and Artists of Albania, and in 1992, General Secretary of this League. In 1993, he was appointed Dean of the Faculty of History and Philology of the University of Tirana, while in recent years he was an external lecturer of this faculty.

Some of his works are "Birds come out of my pain", "Quaderni", "I loved you", "Prush through the centuries", "The signature of my people", "Again on the road", "Lyrics of May", " Ballad", etc

Koçi Petriti passed away on April 20, 2014, leaving behind an extraordinary contribution, both in literature and in the formation of generations.

Such a figure remains unforgettable, not only for the city of his birth and the people who knew him closely, but for anyone who browses through Albanian literature with the desire to know the greatness of simplicity, through verses of love.

Watch the interview/ CNA below