Petar Petrović-Njegoš, Prince Petar II of Montenegro, was born in the village of Njegusi near Cetinje. As the government of Montenegro was then a theocracy, Njegoš, who ruled from 1830 to 1851, had to act as high priest, much against his own views and wishes. He was religious by conviction, but opposed to any religious fanaticism or formalities. By setting up a number of civil and cultural institutions, he transformed Montenegro from a tribal to a modern state.

Njegoš was one of the greatest Yugoslav poets. His principal works are Slobodijada (Ode to liberty), Gorski Vijenac (The mountain wreath), Luča Mikrokozma (The ray of the microcosm), Šćepan Mali (Schepan the small), and a number of minor poems, the best of which is the reflective poem Misao (The thought). His main themes were man's destiny, marked by struggle and...