Studia Islandica - 01.06.1957, Blaðsíða 24

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along with his lively sense of humor a rare facility of
expression. The epigram therefore became for him a most
happy vehicle for matters grave and gay, not infrequently
for cutting retorts. Nor are his verses free from obscenity
any more than Pope’s writings.1) Many of Þorláksson’s
epigrams are, on the other hand, original, witty, readily
quotable, and hit the mark admirably; hence they quickly
found wings, and some still live on the lips of the Ice-
landic people. Moreover, in these epigrams one can clearly
see the poet’s many-sidedness. Unfortunately, these inte-
resting verses of his cannot easily be translated.
It may then safely be asserted that Þorláksson’s ori-
ginal poetry is fairly rich in variety of themes and verse
forms; naturally, the tones of his lyre do not by any
means always possess purity and beauty; nevertheless,
not uncommonly its strains are both poetic and sonorous.
The general characteristics of his original poems may be
summarized in this fashion: They are marked by unusual
facility of expression and often by deep feeling; they are
rich in humor, which frequently becomes bitter satire;
at times they rise to noble heights and are always pure
and natural in language. And this is especially note-
worthy: When the poet uses the most exacting verse
forms he often reaches his greatest heights. Indeed an
eloquent testimony to the richness of his literary genius.
A product of his age, Þorláksson is by no means the
adherent of one literary tendency. An Icelander to the
core and steeped in the native literary tradition, he
shares with Eggert Ólafsson (1726—1768), a poet of
prominence and the leader in a nationalistic movement,
profound interest in the Old Icelandic literature, which
he must have known well as echoes from it are found in
his poems. He often uses the Old Icelandic verse forms,
notably the fomyrðislag, both in original poems and
translations, and always with marked success. His poetry
1) Cf. Leslie Stephen, Alexander Pcype, p. 14.