Einar Bragi
Encyclopedia
Einar Bragi (7 April 1921, Eskifjördur
- 26 March 2005, Reykjavík
) was an Iceland
ic poet
and publisher. He was a modernist
who founded and edited the journal Birtingur, the leading forum for modernism in Iceland at the time.
Bragi published nine books of poetry between 1950 and 1980. He is known as one of the Atom Poets
. He also translated poetry into Icelandic.
, and "even attempted to match Tómas Guðmundsson's polish in style." His subject matter includes love and nature, often joined together, and he is critical of greed and exploitation. His critique of social injustice, according to scholar of Icelandic literature Neijmann, is expressed through sarcasm or the use of imagery derived from nature, and is free from sermonizing.
His forms are highly varied and he employed alliteration
and rhyme
, but also wrote free verse
and prose poetry
. Some of his longer poems employ the traditional Icelandic form of the thula
.
In the nine slim volumes of poetry he published, Bragi reworks and revisits the same material, "so that in effect the poet was republishing his work over and over again." His prose poems were called "fine," with "a refined sense of poetic diction," and the Columbia dictionary of modern European literature likewise praises his "refined lyrical verse." French critic Régis Boyer also commented on his admirably rhythmical prose.
In addition to writing poetry, Bragi also translated poetry "from virtually all European languages," including English
, French
and Scandinavian languages (Swedish
, Norwegian
, Sami
, Greenlandic, etc.), and acquired a reputation as a translator.
, he founded the publishing company Forlag Editions, which published a number of important books by Roth. In 1953, he founded the journal Birtingur, which became the "main forum for Icelandic modernists" and was published until 1968.
Eskifjördur
Eskifjörður , or also Eskifjördur, is a town and port in eastern Iceland with a large fishing industry. It has a population of 1,043 and constitutes one of the most populated villages part of the municipality of Fjarðabyggð....
- 26 March 2005, Reykjavík
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
) was an Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
ic poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
and publisher. He was a modernist
Modernist literature
Modernist literature is sub-genre of Modernism, a predominantly European movement beginning in the early 20th century that was characterized by a self-conscious break with traditional aesthetic forms...
who founded and edited the journal Birtingur, the leading forum for modernism in Iceland at the time.
Bragi published nine books of poetry between 1950 and 1980. He is known as one of the Atom Poets
Atom Poets
The Atom Poets were a group of Icelandic modernist poets, the five most prominent of which were Einar Bragi, Hannes Sigfússon, Jón Óskar, Sigfús Daðason and Stefán Hörður Grímsson, who all began their careers in the 1940s and 1950s....
. He also translated poetry into Icelandic.
Poetry
Bragi's first two books were published while he was studying in Sweden; he returned to Iceland in 1953. His early writing was often polemic, and in the early stages of his career he felt the need to defend his own poetry and that of the other Atom Poets, arguing that modern poetry was intrinsically different from traditional poetry. Like other poets of his generation, he was influenced by Tómas GuðmundssonTómas Guðmundsson
Tómas Guðmundsson was an Icelandic author. He was known as Reykjavík's poet ....
, and "even attempted to match Tómas Guðmundsson's polish in style." His subject matter includes love and nature, often joined together, and he is critical of greed and exploitation. His critique of social injustice, according to scholar of Icelandic literature Neijmann, is expressed through sarcasm or the use of imagery derived from nature, and is free from sermonizing.
His forms are highly varied and he employed alliteration
Alliteration
In language, alliteration refers to the repetition of a particular sound in the first syllables of Three or more words or phrases. Alliteration has historically developed largely through poetry, in which it more narrowly refers to the repetition of a consonant in any syllables that, according to...
and rhyme
Rhyme
A rhyme is a repetition of similar sounds in two or more words and is most often used in poetry and songs. The word "rhyme" may also refer to a short poem, such as a rhyming couplet or other brief rhyming poem such as nursery rhymes.-Etymology:...
, but also wrote free verse
Free verse
Free verse is a form of poetry that refrains from consistent meter patterns, rhyme, or any other musical pattern.Poets have explained that free verse, despite its freedom, is not free. Free Verse displays some elements of form...
and prose poetry
Prose poetry
Prose poetry is poetry written in prose instead of using verse but preserving poetic qualities such as heightened imagery and emotional effects.-Characteristics:Prose poetry can be considered either primarily poetry or prose, or a separate genre altogether...
. Some of his longer poems employ the traditional Icelandic form of the thula
Thula (poetic genre)
Thula , is the name of an ancient poetic genre in the Germanic literatures . Thulas are metrical name-lists or lists of poetic synonyms compiled, mainly, for oral recitation. The main function of thulas is thought to be mnemonic. The Old Norse term was first applied to an English poem, the Old...
.
In the nine slim volumes of poetry he published, Bragi reworks and revisits the same material, "so that in effect the poet was republishing his work over and over again." His prose poems were called "fine," with "a refined sense of poetic diction," and the Columbia dictionary of modern European literature likewise praises his "refined lyrical verse." French critic Régis Boyer also commented on his admirably rhythmical prose.
In addition to writing poetry, Bragi also translated poetry "from virtually all European languages," including English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
and Scandinavian languages (Swedish
Swedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
, Norwegian
Norwegian language
Norwegian is a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is the official language. Together with Swedish and Danish, Norwegian forms a continuum of more or less mutually intelligible local and regional variants .These Scandinavian languages together with the Faroese language...
, Sami
Sami languages
Sami or Saami is a general name for a group of Uralic languages spoken by the Sami people in parts of northern Finland, Norway, Sweden and extreme northwestern Russia, in Northern Europe. Sami is frequently and erroneously believed to be a single language. Several names are used for the Sami...
, Greenlandic, etc.), and acquired a reputation as a translator.
Publishing ventures
With the Swiss-German artist Dieter RothDieter Roth
Dieter Roth was an Icelandic artist of Swiss German origin best known for his artist's books and for his sculptures and pictures made with rotting food stuffs. He was also known as Dieter Rot and Diter Rot....
, he founded the publishing company Forlag Editions, which published a number of important books by Roth. In 1953, he founded the journal Birtingur, which became the "main forum for Icelandic modernists" and was published until 1968.