Studia Islandica - 01.06.1957, Page 23

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played as important a part as it has in Iceland down to
very recent times.
Especially interesting among Þorláksson’s more serious
efforts are his autobiographical poems as they throw con-
siderable light upon his character and outlook on life.
They are free from exaggerations and self-praise, but
because of their sincerity and straightforwardness they
impress the reader and arouse his sympathy with the
poet; his irony is also an effective element in these poems.
Prominent among them is “Grafskrift” (An Epitaph),
which J. C. Poestion characterizes as “in ihrer Einfachheit
recht ergreifende”, in my judgement a sound estimate.1)
In some of Þorláksson’s autobiographical pieces there
is a tone of bittemess. Nor was it but natural that the
poet should be moved to complain over his adversecircum-
stances; the more prevalent note is, however, one of op-
timism and genuine manliness. Þorláksson was, more-
over, endowed with a rare sense of values, an inimitable
gift or humor, which doubtless often lightened for him the
heavy burdens of life.
Of his longer humorous poems the one entitled “Ham-
förin” (Witch-Riding) is of special interest; it was writ-
ten when the poet had completed his translation of Para-
dise Lost. Ingenious and entertaining, it describes how a
“blind man” bridled the poet horse-fashion, spurred him
across sea and land, through the heavens and the lower
regions, even traversing eternity itself; it depicts graphi-
cally the varied experiences of the journey, which left
the poet with a lame leg.2)
Þorláksson is, however, usually at his best as an epi-
grammatist. He was an expert improvisator, possessing
1) Islándische Dichter der Neuzeit, p. 272, which includes an
excellent German translation of the poem, reproducing the spirit
as well as the verse form of the original.
2) Cf. Þorláksson’s conversation with Henderson, quoted in
Chapter I of this study.