Binkis, Kazis

Born Nov. 4. 1893, in the village of Gudeliai, now RokiSis Raion, Lithuanian SSR; died Apr. 27, 1942, in Kaunas. Lithuanian poet and playwright.

Born into the family of a peasant, Binkis studied at the University of Berlin and published his first works in 1911. In his first book, Poems (1920), Binkis glorified Lithuanian nature and country life. In the 1920’s he was an organizer of the Lithuanian futurists and published the collection of verses A Hundred Springs (1926). Later he moved away from futurism. His play Verdure (1938) about student life and the antiwar drama Dress Rehearsal (1940; published in 1958) are two of the best examples of realistic Lithuanian drama. He is the author of verses for children and has translated the verses of A. S. Pushkin.