The Icelandic Canadian - 01.06.1967, Page 49

THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
47
Where The Limitation Of Language
And Geography Cease To Exist
by HARALDUR BESSASON
A few comments on the life and works of the Icelandic Canadian poet, Stephan G. Stephansson
(All references to Stephansson’s works in this article are to Andvokur, I-IV, Reykjavik 1953-58,
identified here with the Roman numbers'I-IV and to page no., and to Bref og ritgerSir I-IV,
Reykjavik 1938-1948, identified here with Arabic 14 and page no. Unless otherwise indicated,
translations of references have been made by the present writer).
I.
The works of the Icelandic Can-
adian poet, Stephan G. Stephansson
rank high in quality not only when
compared with other literature in Ice-
landic, but also as a part of world lit-
erature concerned with human pro-
gress and betterment.
This does not imply that Stephans-
son’s books should ibe regarded as
guides to successful living. One could
rather say that much of his work dwells
on themes of intellectual value—themes
which the poet often analysed in depth
in highly symbolic poems.
By stating that Stephansson was en-
gaged in the search for truth and
that he reflected upon such human
qualities as strength of character and
the individual’s desire to develop his
intellectual powers one is, of course,
speaking in generalities. Nevertheless,
when applied to the subject at hand
these words take on a special signifi-
cance which is far removed from the
realm of generalities. Stephan G
Stephansson’s life and creative work
were of no ordinary nature; one is in-
deed quite justified in stating that his
attainments represent a case without
parallel.
II.
Stephan G. Stephansson was born on
the 3rd of October in 1853 in the dis-
trict of SkagafjorSur in northern Ice-
land. In 1870 the family moved from
SkagafjorSur to SuSur-bingeyjarsysla,
also in the northern part of Iceland.
In 1873 all the immediate family
emigrated to the United States and
settled in Dane County, Wisconsin.
Five years after their arrival there
Stephansson married Helga SigriSur
Jonsdottir. “All I then possessed",
Stephansson has written, “consisted of
160 acres of land which had only been
partly cleared of its huge fir trees, and
twelve barren, but fully cleared acres
of sandy soil and a reasonably good
house.” (4,80).
In 1880 Stephansson and his family
moved to the GarSar district near
Mountain in North Dakota where they
stayed until the spring of 1889 when
they moved to a district close to
Markerville in Alberta in western Can-
ada where Stephansson lived until the
day of his death, August 10 in 1927.
It was in Alberta that Stephansson
wrote most of his poems, some of
which rank among the finest attain-
ments in both Icelandic and Canadian
letters.
When Stephansson left Iceland, he
was only nineteen years of age. Finan-
cial circumstances had allowed for
little formal education so that he did
not get the chance to pursue higher
learning. He has related a touching
incident which shows how he, as a