Poetry
Hafblik
Not translated into English
Einar Benediktsson · 1906
Synopsis
The author's second book of original poems brings together pieces in which love of country and of nature, patriotism and mysticism are mingled, in an ornate and dense language, nourished by travel. To these are added esteemed translations: from English, a song of Cleopatra and two pieces by Longfellow, including passages from the Golden Legend; a poem by Bjørnson; three by Drachmann; and passages from Ibsen's Peer Gynt.
Context
The collection appeared in 1906, after a first book of tales and poems, Sögur og kvæði, in 1897, and an Icelandic translation of Peer Gynt, Pétur Gautur, in 1901, from which come the passages from Ibsen it contains. Critics see it as the continuation of the first book, with a personal tone, more mature and with clearer thought. Britannica speaks of a symbolist and neo-romantic manner, fond of reflecting the wide world in small details. Hrannir followed in 1913, Vogar in 1921 and Hvammar in 1930; a selection of his poems appeared in English in 1955 and in French in 2008.
Who it is for
Poems in Icelandic, dense and ornate, which call for careful reading; not translated as a collection.
Prizes and reception
Counted by critics among his best books; its author is sometimes called the greatest Icelandic poet of the twentieth century.