Mokslo ir tikėjimo dialogai

The article analyses briefly the poetry of the Lithuanian poet Vytautas Mačernis, and especially the influence of Existentialist philosophy on his work. Authors such as Soren Kierkegaard, Karl Jaspers, Martin Heidegger, and the influence of their thought on this author, are touched on. Mačernis searched in philosophy for answers to questions that constantly arose for him about the meaning of his existence in this world, purifying true values. He believed that in this way he could find the answer to how to remain human in a constantly changing and dangerous world. That is how he found God and Christian values, love of country, and patriotism. He was moved by the dialectic of life and death, the opposition of good and evil, and the majesty of human life. The poet believed firmly in eternal life, that death does not end a person’s existence: it only changes, not ceases. Mačernis was constantly looking for truth and answers to questions of human existence, feeling that his life was temporary, and that he needed to hurry if he wanted to live meaningfully.