poetry is the clash of the old, archaic, rural worldview with the modern world. His main work is Kukučio baladės (The Ballads of Kukutis, 1977), a poem about a prankster, the trickster Kukutis, who exposes the absurdity of "modern new life" brought by the brutal Soviet occupation from the East, was one of the catalysts for the peaceful revolution in Lithuania. The poem was sung or recited during the mass political rallies of the late 1980s and early '90s. Sigitas Geda (1943–2008) was a productive poet and playwright. His poems connect ancient Lithuanian polytheistic religion and mythology with Greek and Sumerian myths, intertwining the old and new worlds with the ode to life and vitality. His most important works are Strazdas (1967), 26 rudens ir vasaros giesmės (26 autumn and summer songs, 1972), Žalio gintaro vėriniai (Green Amber Necklaces, 1988) and the libretto Strazdas - žalias paukštis (Strazdas - green bird, 1984). Tomas Venclova (b. 1937), born in Klaipėda, is a poet, essayist, literary critic, and translator. While he was a professor at Vilnius University, he became involved in the Lithuanian Helsinki Group, a human rights organization that included protests against Soviet activities in Lithuania. His involvement led to conflicts with the government, but in 1977 he gained permission to emigrate to the US; there he became a professor at Yale University. The Sign of Speech, a volume of poetry, published in Lithuania before his departure, was followed by other volumes of poetry, essays, and translations published in the US. Several compilations of these works were published in Lithuania after it achieved independence in the 1990s. His literary criticism includes a study of Aleksander Wat. Arvydas Šliogeris (1944–2019) was a philosopher, essayist, translator of philosophical texts and social critic. In his works, Šliogeris researches the problems of Being and Essence, the fundamentals of Thinginess and Existence. He is also the most known Lithuanian researcher of Martin Heidegger. Essential works - Niekis ir esmas (2005), Transcendencijos tyla (1996), Daiktas ir menas (1988). Petras Dirgėla (1947–2015) was a prosaist, essayist, and creator of the historiosophic novel tradition in Lithuanian literature. His most known works are Joldijos jūra (Yoldia Sea, 1987–1988) and Anciliaus ežeras (Ancylus Lake, 1991). The climax of Dirgėla's creativity is the monumental four-volume (consisting of 14 books) saga Karalystė. Žemės keleivių epas (The Kingdom. An Epic of Earth Travellers, 1997–2004). His books have been translated into 10 languages. Ričardas Gavelis