Jónas Hallgrímsson
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jónas Hallgrímsson (1807–1845) was an Icelandic poet and author. He was one of the founding members of the Icelandic magazine Fjölnir, which was first published in Copenhagen in 1835. The magazine was used by Jónas and other nationalistic poets to invoke nationalism in the hearts of the Icelandic people in the hopes of inciting a popular rebellion against Danish rule. Hallgrímsson was one of the most beloved poets of Iceland and put into words some of its best-known poems about land and nation. He died in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1845 as a result of blood poisoning, following his refusal to go to hospital after suffering a broken leg.
Fjölnir is considered one of the founding fathers of romanticism in Iceland. His poetry exhibits a strong influence from the Icelandic landscape. He is also known for introducing foreign metres, such as pentameter, to Icelandic poetry.
"Charming and fair is the land,
and snow-white the peaks of the jokuls [glaciers],
Cloudless and blue is the sky,
the ocean is shimmering bright,
But high on the lave fields, where
still Osar river is flowing
Down into Almanna gorge,
Althing no longer is held,
Now Snorri's booth serves as a sheepfold,
the ling upon Logberg the sacred
Is blue with berries every year,
for children, s and ravens, delight.
Oh, ye juvenile host
and full-grown manhood of Iceland!
Thus is our forefathers' fame
forgotten and dormant withal."
Iceland Translated by Gudmund J. Gislason Beck, Richard, editor, Icelandic Lyrics:Originals and Translations, Thorhallur Bjarnarson, Publisher, Post Box 1001, Reykjavik 1930
[edit] Sources
- Jónas Hallgrímsson, Selected Poetry and Prose: The University of Wisconsin Digital Collections Center presents this publicly accessible digital resource. It includes a wide range of materials that introduce the work of Icelandic poet and natural scientist Jónas Hallgrímsson (1807-1845), generally acknowledged to be the most important and influential Icelandic poet of modern times.
