Tom Kristensen (August 4, 1893 – June 2, 1974), was a Danish poet and novelist.
Contents |
Kristensen was born in London to Danish parents, but grew up in Copenhagen and was educated at the University of Copenhagen. Kristensen is considered one of the most colourful and artistic poets of his generation. His two collections of poems Fribytterdrømme (1920, "Freebooter Dreams") and Mirakler (1922, "Miracles") are classics of Danish expressionism, marked by revolutionary artistic enthusiasm and restlessness. Påfuglefjeren (1922, "The Peacock Feather") which is inspired by a journey to China, is deeper and more sombre, especially the poem Henrettelsen ("The Execution") that is depicting a man’s intense powers of observation just before he is beheaded. The contemporary novel Livets Arabesk (1921 – ”The Arabesque of Life”) is a revolutionary future fantasy in expressionist form.
In 1930 he wrote perhaps his most well-known work, the novel Hærværk (Engl. transl. Havoc, 1968), the story of a Danish journalist, Ole Jastrau, doing his best to ruin his life and drink himself to death. Apart from its presumed autobiographical background, it probably reflects the intellectual, political and personal crises of many writers between the World Wars. A poem from this novel, Angst ("Fear"), with its fascination with disaster, has become a classic.
During the 1930’s, Kristensen concentrated more on commemorative poems, of which he was a master – many are found in Mod den yderste Rand (1936, "Against the furthest Edge") and Digte i Døgnet (1940, "Poems a Day"). A final collection of poems Den sidste Lygte (1954, "The last Lamp") parades the themes of his writings.
Besides being a fictive writer, Kristensen was a sharp and outstanding critic, and for thirty years he worked as a reviewer, mostly at the liberal-radical Politiken. As a critic he was lauded for his ability to enter into the spirit of his subject. He also wrote many collections of essays and travel books. -- most famously En Kavaler i Spanien (1927, "A Gentleman in Spain").
En kavaler i Spanien (A Gentleman in Spain) is a travel account of one of Tom Kristensen's journeys. It is written in an expressionistic style and is thus a very subjective account. The book follows Tom Kristensen on his journey through Spain in the 1920s. He writes about the various sights, and about the interesting people that he meets on the trip. He also describes his impression of bullfighting. The book also contains many poems that were written on the journey. He meets with fellow-travellers, and a thief, all the while trying desperately to learn the Spanish language. In the end he longs for his home in Denmark, and the last sentence says "I have to flee".
Kristensen is one of the most important Danish lyricists of the 20th Century. His restless spirit and fascination with bullfighting has drawn comparisons with Hemingway.
Kristensen's final years were spent on Thurø, close to Svendborg, where he died at the age of 80, and is buried.