Ritið : tímarit Hugvísindastofnunar - 01.01.2023, Page 180
„HAnDAn VIð lÍFIð BÍðuR EkkERT, EkkERT“
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A B S T R A C T
Hannes Pétursson (born 1955) has been among Iceland’s most significant contemporary
poets ever since he published his first book in 1955. In the article, the author makes an
attempt to approach Péturson´s poetry from a theological perspective. The article dis-
cusses death as it appears in the poems. First in poems where death is seen as the end of
everything and later in poems that show other perspectives on death. After that, several
themes related to faith will be dealt with: questions about human existence and the reve-
lation of the mystery behind it, as well as doubt about that mystery.
Doubt appears clearly in many of Pétursson’s poems. Often the doubt is, however,
more of an unclear feeling than a formulated attitude. In many of the poems the con-
viction is expressed that nothing awaits human beings after death. Everywhere in the
poems, also, the attitude is announced that the purpose of earthly life is not to seek in
existence after it but in everyday life that is beautiful, rich, and meaningful.
Keywords: Icelandic modern lyric, Hannes Pétursson icelandic poet, Attitude to death,
Faith and doubt.
Hjalti Hugason
Prófessor í kirkjusögu
guðfræði- og trúarbragðafræðideild
Hugvísindasviði Háskóla Íslands
Sæmundargötu 2
IS-102 Reykjavík, Ísland
hhugason@hi.is