Fire and Ice: Contemporary Icelandic Poetry

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Fire and IceContemporary Icelandic Poetry
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Table of Contents

• Introduction
  3
• Jón Óskar
  4
• My father and the sea 5
• Anna S. Björnsdóttir
  6
• Grímsey
  7
• A day in January
  8
• Einar Már Guðmundsson 9
• we don't get on too well together 10
• Linda Vilhjálmsdóttir
  11
• drop of blood
  12
• cold and you were not 13
• Sjón
  14
• Writing is listening to yourself 15
• Reykjavík 11.03.'80, Dear F 18
• Gerður Kristný
  19
• Hole In The Ice
  20
• Prayer
  21
• Bibliography
  22

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Introduction
Write a well-structured and specifically focused
Introductory Essay (500-750 words) in which you
discuss contemporary poetic concerns and
techniques in the region. Create a tight thesis
into which you can introduce your poets it
might have to do with political concerns,
stylistic innovations, unusual thematic concerns,
etc. Be detailed and specific -- at least two
scholarly secondary sources must be cited
following MLA Documentation Style. Encyclopedias
and dictionaries do not count as scholarly
sources.
4
Jón Óskar
Jón Óskar was born in Akranes in 1921. He was
associated with the Icelandic Atom Poets.
Besides writing poems he wrote short stories,
articles and a novel. Also he wrote a
many-volumed biography. He died in 1998 (Jón
Óskar).
Source of biographical information must be cited.
Internal citations must match first word(s) of
Bibliography citations. If there is no author
listed, use the title as the first word(s) of the
citation
5
Jón Óskar1921- 1998My father and the sea
My daughter picks up shells from the shoreand
small pieces of seaweed with white dots and a
tiny piece of glass the sea has polished
wonderful and seabeaten stones wonderful and
tiny shells and the sand is for writing.I have
stood on the edge of the ocean. I see my daughter
on the shoreand Im on the highwayand from the
highway I see the seaand the shore and the world
are mine I see my daughter from the shore I play
organ for my father and my father sings with
emotion I love the furious ocean.
I see my father rowing in the open seaI see my
father fighting with the oceanon a broken boat
in the roar of stormand the death sings in every
sparand no one sings I love the furious
ocean.The clock strikes. I watch my daughter on
the shoreand go to her and remove her socksand
run with her into the wavesto teach her to know
the waves and not to fear them, but she fears
them,cause they come and go, come and go.The
clock strikes.
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Anna S. Björnsdóttir
Born in Reykjavík on November 30, 1948,
Björnsdóttir has spent most of her professional
life as a teacher. She began publishing poetry
in newspapers and magazines in 1985, and her
first book of poetry, Örugglega ég (Definitely
Me) appeared in 1988. She has published a
number of poetry collections since then, and her
book Mens solen stadig er fremme / Meðan sól er
enn á lofti (While the Sun is Still Up) recently
came out bilingually in Icelandic and Danish. She
has been a member of the Icelandic Writer's
Association since 1991, and is one of the poets
forming the group Ritlistarhópur Kópavogs
(Anna S. Björnsdóttir).
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Anna S. Björnsdóttirb. 1948
GrímseyFíngerðar snjóflygsur dansafyrir utan
glugganní rökkrinuog þrjár konur ræða samanvið
englaglugga í SólbrekkuHeitt kaffi á
könnunnitónlist úr skólastofunniljóðalestur á
Eyjabókasafnihver kona heldur á barni í
fanginuEyjan er öll veröldinog snjókornhalda
áfram að dansaá rökkurhimni 1993
GrímseyDelicate snowflakes danceoutside the
windowin the twilightand three women chatby
the angel window in SólbrekkaSteaming coffee in
the potmusic from the classroompoetry reading
in the libraryeach woman is cradling a
childThe island is the whole worldand
snowflakeskeep on dancingin the twilight sky
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A day in JanuaryIt is on a day like this
onethat understanding blossoms like tree shoots
in springnaked feet dance a merry dance in tune
with the poemthat rose to the sky in a silent
whimperand the breaths turn to years in a heart
that beatsheart that lovesIt is on a day like
this onethat the shadows disappear from the
dreamsyou do not noticethat all of a sudden
there is nothing to missand you only want this
momentthis change in your lifewhich is
constantly changing from one tree to anotherfrom
one season to another and everywhere there
growleafy branchesIt is on a day like this
onethat I love you like the shimmering
starsgentleand everything is enveloped in a
pale light and you
Janúardagurþað er á degi sem þessumað
skilningurinn springur út eins og brum að
vorinaktir fætur dansa gleðidans í takt við
ljóðiðsem steig upp til himins í orðlausu
kjökriog andartökin verða að árum í hjarta sem
slærhjarta sem elskarÞað er á degi sem
þessumað skuggarnir hverfa úr draumunumþú tekur
ekki eftir þvíað allt í einu er einskis að
saknaog þú vilt aðeins þessa stund þessi skil í
líf þittsem er alltaf að breytast úr einu tré í
annaðúr einni árstíð í aðra og alls staðar vaxa
þarlaufgaðar greinarÞað er á degi sem
þessumað ég elska þig eins og stjörnurnar
tindrandiblíðarog allt er umvafið fölhvítu
ljósi og þér
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Einar Már Guðmundsson
Poet and novelist, Einar Már Gudmundsson was born
in Reykjavík in 1954. After he earned a BA in
Comparative Literature and History from the
University of Iceland, he studied Comparative
Literature at the University of Copenhagen. One
of the best known and most translated Icelandic
authors, Gudmundsson's first book appeared in
1980. His widely acclaimed novel Englar
alheimsins (Angels of the Universe) received the
Nordic Council Literary Award in 1995. (Einar
Már Gudmundsson)
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Einar Már Guðmundssonb. 1954
From Brushstrokes of BlueTranslated by Bernard
Scudder, 1994we don't get on too well
togetherwhen I cried outlike christ on the
crosswhy hast thou forsaken meyou said I don't
think weget on too well together
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Linda Vilhjálmsdóttir
Born in 1958 in Reykjavik, Linda Vilhjálmsdóttir
was educated as a nurse assistant. Her first book
of poetry, Bláþráður (Blue Thread), was published
in 1990. Other volumes of poetry include
Klakabörnin (Children of Ice) (1992), Valsar úr
síðustu siglingu (Walzes from the Latest Sea
Voyage) (1996), and Öll fallegu orðin (All the
Beautiful Words) (2000).She was awarded the DV
Cultural Prize in 1993 for her book of poetry
Klakabörnin. (Linda Vilhjálmsdóttir).
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Linda Vilhjálmsdóttir b. 1958
drop of bloodsplinter of bonepatch of skinlock
of hairfracture of a naildust from a firethat
broke out last yearbut went out this yearI
send you a ghost
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Linda Vilhjálmsdóttir b. 1958
cold and you were notwere not you in the
coffinwere not a lifeless bodywere not in
spirit in the churchyou did not put your icy
hand in mine at yourgrave you were not there
kalt og þú varst ekkivarst ekki þú í
kistunnivarst ekki líflaus líkamivarst ekki í
anda í kirkjunniþú hélst ekki ískaldri
hendiþinni um mína við gröfinaþína þú varst
ekki þar
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Sjón
Born in 1962, Sigurjón Birgir Sigurdsson, who
made his name as Sjón, is best known in the
English-speaking world as the lyricist who wrote
the songs for Lars von Triers Dancer in the Dark
starring Bjork.. In Iceland, however, he is
regarded as one of Icelands best poets. He has
published eleven books of poetry, several novels
and plays, scripts for films and television, as
well as lyrics for singer Björk. He has also
written lyrics for Anna and the Moods with
music by Julian Nott for the Brodsky Quartet
(Brodsky) As a young man, he joined the
Surrealist Performance Group, Medusa, and ran
its art gallery. Sjón's poetry is often
characterized as surrealistic, or fantastic, and
often makes high demands on the reader. A
reviewer once said his poems were an almost cruel
onslaught on the empathy of the well-meaning
reader and his words did not seem to know their
proper place. (Vermeijden)
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Sjón b. 1962
Writing is listening to yourself Once I
overheard two men talking. One had a red beard
and hair down to his knees, the other was the
contrary. The angry one spoke in such a loud
voice that the passengers could not mistake that
he was either drunk or getting over the same flu
as half of them.Anyway, what he said was
something like thisWriting is listening to
yourself listening to yourself.Once I overheard
two men talking. One had a red beard and hair
down to his knees, the other was the contrary.
This happened on a bus on the way down to town
from Breidholt, and as you had obviously all
guessed, it was snowing heavily all around it at
the traffic lights on Mjódd.Anyway, the grumpy
one spoke in such a loud voice that the
passengers could not mistake that he was either
drunk or getting over the same flu as half of
them.And what he said was something like
thisWriting is listening to yourself listening
to yourself listening to other people.
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Once I overheard two men talking. One had a red
beard and hair down to his knees, the other was
the contrary. This happened on a bus on the way
down to town from Breidholt, either number twelve
or thirteen, it was snowing heavily all around it
at the traffic lights on Mjódd (which was just a
marsh then).The terrified passengers stared into
their cupped hands and whispered in such low
voices that no one could hear, but everyone saw
the steam rising from their lips "Will this
morning never end?"Anyway, the angry one spoke
in such a loud voice that the passengers could
not mistake that he was either drunk or getting
over the same flu as half of them.And what he
said was something like thisWriting is
listening to yourself listening to yourself
listening to other people talking about
themselves.Once I overheard two people talking.
One had a bushy beard and hair down to his knees,
the other was the contrary. This happened on a
bus on the way down to town from Breidholt, as
you had obviously all guessed, and it was snowing
heavily all around it at the traffic lights on
Mjódd.Anyway, the evil-looking one spoke in such
a loud voice that the passengers could not
mistake that he was either drunk or getting over
the same flu as half of them.And what he said
was something like this
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"Here on this bus is a young man, if man is the
right word since he's just a youngster, he's got
books in a bag, yes, those are books that he's
got in his bag. Just so that you know, he's
trying to sell those books, and since we're
getting snowed in at these traffic lights here I
just want to say that I've read it..."Then the
other one gave him a nudge and spat out"Shut
up, that's Sjón ..."2001Translated by Bernard
Scudder
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Sjónb. 1962
Reykjavík 11.03.'80Kæra F-Í nótt dreymdi mig
að þú klipptir af þérallt hárið og gerðir úr því
rúm sem viðelskuðumst í. Á veggnum á móti var
spegillog þegar ég fékk fullnægingu þá sá ég
íhonum að þú varst ekki lengur hjá mér.Þú sast
í stól og lakkaðir á þér neglurnarmeð grænu
naglalakki unnu úr engisprettum.Þú sagðir Rauð
hús eru þínar konur.Þá vaknaði ég við það að ég
beit mig íöxlina. Klukkan var hálf sjö.Annars
er allt gott að frétta, hér er kalt en samt nógu
heitt fyrir gömul tígrisdýr.Bless, þinn
vinurSigurjón
Reykjavík 11.03.'80Dear F-Last night I dreamt
that you cut off allyour hair and made a bed out
of it that wemade love in. On the wall facing us
was a mirrorand when I had an orgasm I saw in it
thatyou were no longer beside me.You were
sitting in a chair, doing your nailsusing green
varnish made out of locusts.You said Red houses
are your women.Then I woke up because I was
biting my ownshoulder. It was half past
six.Anyway, all is well, it is cold but still
warm enough for old tigers.Bye, bye, your
friendSigurjón
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Gerður Kristný
A native of Reykjavik, Kristnýwas born in 1970.
Her published works include Ísfrétt (Ice Report,
poems, 1994), Regnbogi í póstinum (A Rainbow in
the Post, novel, 1996), Eitruð epli (Poisoned
Apples, short stories, 1998), and Launkofi
(Hideaway, poems, 2000). A critic says of her
poems They reveal solitude, the quest for
strong self-awareness and a yearning for
independence. A woman seeks to release herself
from the shackles that society has imposed on
her and rejects her conventional role, but her
dissidence is often doomed to failure
(Valdimarsdóttir).
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Gerður Kristnýb. 1970
Hole In The IceDrift ice in your
eyeshoarfrost in your heartyour handsuntamed
sled dogsabove usa moon poisesamid
starstargetsurrounded by holesmade by darts
that strayed Trans. 2001
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PrayerRecall you stillbefore going to
bedsometimesI say a prayerthat only includes
youand dreams about a tiny boatRecall you
alsowhen whetting the knifeknow that the
shortest wayto a man's heartgoes straight
throughhis chest Trans. 2001

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Bibliography
Anna S. Björnsdóttir 2001. Icelandic
Literature. Reykjavik City Library. 13 July
2004. erature.nsf/form/rithofundur.html? Openformid2
FF7EE9B28FB794800256D79005144F1 Björnsdottir,
Anna S. "Grímsey" ("Grimsey"). Qtd. in
Sigurðarsson, Sölvi Björn. "The Poetry of
Anna S. Björnsdóttir." Trans. Dagmar
Gunnarsson. 2002. Icelandic Literature.
Reykjavik City Library. 13 July 2004. http//www.borgarbokasafn.is/enskur/literature.nsf
/pages/rithofundur0469 . _____. " Janúardagur"
("A Day in January"). Qtd. in Sigurðarsson,
Sölvi Björn. "The Poetry of Anna S.
Björnsdóttir." Trans. Dagmar Gunnarsson. 2002.
Icelandic Literature. Reykjavik City Library.
13 July 2004. skur/literature.nsf/pages/rithofundur0469 .
23
"Brodsky Quartet." Arts View. 2003. 13 July
2004. ent_brodskyquartet81.html "Einar Már
Guðmundsson." 2001. Icelandic Literature.
Reykjavik City Library. 11 Sept. 2004. http//www.borgarbokasafn.is/enskur/literature.nsf
/form/rithofundur.html? OpenformidB8414687B29B
C2EC00256AE4004F84D4 Guðmundsson, Einar Már.
"we don't get on too well together."
Brushstrokes of Blue. Trans. Bernard Scudder,
1994. Icelandic Literature. Reykjavik City
Library. iterature.nsf/pages/rithofundur0092 . Kristný,
Gerður. " Hole in the Ice." Trans. Poems in North
Words Poetry, Fiction and Reviews. The View
from the North. 26 (2001). Icelandic Literature.
Reykjavik City Library. 10 July 2004. http//www.bokmenntir.is/enskur/literature.nsf/for
m/skodabok.html? openformidDFD3DE5289F3B18A002
56AEE004F4CA9 .
24
Kristný, Gerður. " Prayer." Trans. Poems in North
Words Poetry, Fiction and Reviews. The View
from the North. 26 (2001). Icelandic Literature.
Reykjavik City Library. 10 July 2004. http//www.bokmenntir.is/enskur/literature.nsf/for
m/skodabok.html? openformidDFD3DE5289F3B18A002
56AEE004F4CA9 . "Jón Óskar." Student Exchange
MENNTASKÓLINN Í REYKJAVÍK EXTERNAT DES
ENFANTS NANTAIS. 11 July 2004. http//www.ismennt.is/not/gk/mreden/en/jon_oskar.h
tm Linda Vilhjálmsdóttir. Icelandic
Literature. Reykjavik City Library. 14 July
2004. rature.nsf/form/rithofundur.html? Openformid78
C328D9CFB97ACE00256DC8004CF4A4 .
25
Óskar, Jón. "My Father and the sea." Student
Exchange MENNTASKÓLINN Í REYKJAVÍK EXTERNAT
DES ENFANTS NANTAIS. 11 July 2004. http//www.ismennt.is/not/gk/mreden/en/jon_oskar.h
tm . Sigurðarsson, Sölvi Björn. "The Poetry of
Anna S. Björnsdóttir." Trans. Dagmar
Gunnarsson. 2002. Icelandic Literature.
Reykjavik City Library. 13 July 2004. http//www.borgarbokasafn.is/enskur/literature.nsf
/pages/rithofundur0469 . Sjón. "Kaera F" ("Dear
F"). Qtd. in "'I want you to picture me' dark
creatures, red threads and Sjón" by Úlfhildur
Dagsdóttir. Icelandic Literature. Reykjavik City
Library. 11 July 2004. safn.is/enskur/literature.nsf/ pages/rithofundur
0520 . _____. "Writing is listening to
yourself." Trans. Bernard Scudder. Icelandic
Literature. Reykjavik City Library. 11 July
2004. erature.nsf/pages/rithofundur0389 .
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Valdimarsdóttir, Alda Björk. "Who Killed Snow
White? On the Poetry and Fiction of Gerður
Kristný." Trans. Bernard Scudder. 2001.
Icelandic Literature. Reykjavik City Library.
10 July 2004. /enskur/literature.nsf/pages/rithofundur0174
. Vermeijden, Paula. " Sjón."Trans. Ko Kooman.
1999. Poetry International Web. 11 July 2004. http//www.poetryinternational.org/cwolk/view/1597
7 . Vilhjálmsdóttir, Linda. "cold and you were
not." Öll fallegu orðin All the Beautiful
Words. 2000. Qtd. in ""If I Had Written a
Poem to You" All the Beautiful Words of Linda
Vilhjálmsdóttir" by Úlfhildur Dagsdóttir.
Icelandic Literature. Reykjavik City Library.
14 July 2004. nskur/literature.nsf/pages/index.html . _____.
"drop of blood." Nordic Poetry Week Kunming
China. 2004. 14 July 2004. http//www.tcgnordica.org/poet/12.html .