Greinar (Vísindafélag Íslendinga) - 01.01.1943, Side 161

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rule he manages to give it all a certain humorous touch,
which does not weaken its effect, but makes it more con-
genial.
That which lifts Hallgrímur’s satires high above tedi-
ous grumbling and bad temper, is the fact that he de-
scribes the transitoriness of human things with a definite
end in view. He is preaching the gospel of another and
safer world, a world open to those who are willing to
follow in the footsteps of the Master, valuing worth of
man and a life of beauty more than wealth and vanity.
He pits one great power against another: virtue against
vice, belief against unbelief, the Kingdom of God against
the power of this world, and in this way he is saved from
that kind of caricature, which satirical grumbling often
produces: the dwarf chastising the elements, the molehill
opposed to the mountain.
Hallgrímur Pétursson is never petty, because he knows
in whom he believes, and in whose name he speaks. He
speaks with the authority of a man, who is not merely
himself, but an ambassador of a mighty power.
VIII.
The chief aim of Hallgrímur Pétursson’s poetical acti-
vity is instruction, primarily instruction in the Christian
faith. It would not be far from the truth to say that tliree
fourths of Hallgrímur Pétursson’s spiritual poetry, is eom-
Posed for this very purpose, chief among which are his
poems on themes taken from the Holy Bible.
These poems appear very insignificant to modern
people. Most of them are nothing but the biblical text,
Put into rhyme with as few alterations as possible. Hall-
grímur Pétursson mentions in his preface to the Samuel
hymns that he did not “strive after profound poetry” in
these hymns. Many other poets did the same. But it is not
fair to judge these hymns merely from the point of view
of modern man. These poet-clergymen were carrying out
a necessary work of instruction. The Bible was the power