The Seasons (poem)

It was published as "Das Jahr" in Königsberg, 1818 by Ludwig Rhesa, who also named the poem and selected the arrangement of the parts.

The poem consists of 4 parts: "Spring Joys" (Pavasario linksmybės), "Summer Toils" (Vasaros darbai), "Autumn Boons" (Rudenio gėrybės), and "Winter Cares" (Žiemos rūpesčiai).

The poem depicts a realistic portrayal of Lietuvininkai (Prussian Lithuanians) peasants' life in the middle 18th century, as it was affected by colonization of East Prussia.

The natural virtues idealized by the Pietist movement, diligence, piety, honesty, and submission to authority, flourish.

The poet condemns the imported vices and urges his brother Lithuanians (Lietuvininkai) not to succumb to the novelties but to preserve their traditions, including their language, customs, and dress.

He also employs hyperbole, exaggerating tempo of action, distances, and results to the point of demolishing the bounds of reality and creating a new artistic world.

Furtheron, this Lithuanian poet nature was not conceived in the spirit of the Age of Enlightenment; the peasants he portrayed were not sentimentalized stereotypes.

Thirdly, Donelaitis is characterized by his clear stand in the social, ethnic, and moral clash between the immigrant colonists and the old Lithuanian inhabitants.

It has long stepped over the borders of Lithuanian literature: it has been translated into Belarusian, Bulgarian, Czech, English, Finnish, French, Georgian, German, Hungarian, Japanese, Yiddish, Italian, Latvian, Polish, Russian, Romanian and Esperanto.

The Seasons (most probably in its German translation[2]) was highly valued by Adam Mickiewicz[3] and has inspired him to write a poem, Konrad Wallenrod.

[5] Acclaimed Lithuanian theatre director Eimuntas Nekrošius has adapted the first and third part of the piece to the performances Donelaitis.