Justinas Marcinkevičius (10 March 1930 - 16 February 2011), the prominent poet and playwright, just died. Having grown up during the post-war period, Marcinkevičius evoked in his poetry a romanticized version of childhood spent in the Lithuanian countryside, of first love, of man`s relationship with nature. In his poetry specific and solid peasant thinking was combined with a mind seeking to draw broad general conclusions, and the tradition of Lithuanian poetry singing the Earth`s praises with contemporary modes of poetic thought. As a poet, he sought to grasp the essence of national experience and give it fresh artistic expression. Justinas Marcinkevičius was regarded as one of the most prominent members of the Sąjūdis movement.