Finnish poetry has three traditions: an oral tradition which dates back to the Iron Age, and the written traditions in both Finnish and Swedish. Keith Bosley (made a Knight, First Class, of the Order of the White Rose of Finland for his services to Finnish literature) is the only English translator to work in all three areas. His selections for this collection are wide, including not only key texts, but also many poems that Finns have taken to their hearts. Hymns and verse from three hundred years ago are represented as are ...
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Finnish poetry has three traditions: an oral tradition which dates back to the Iron Age, and the written traditions in both Finnish and Swedish. Keith Bosley (made a Knight, First Class, of the Order of the White Rose of Finland for his services to Finnish literature) is the only English translator to work in all three areas. His selections for this collection are wide, including not only key texts, but also many poems that Finns have taken to their hearts. Hymns and verse from three hundred years ago are represented as are the twentieth century voices of Edith Sodergran, Bo Carpelan, and Gosta Agren, among many others. The book includes a foreword for the general reader as well as extensive notes for the serious student.
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I've a particular interest in Finnish literature as my mother was Finnish. I read this anthology of Finnish poetry with mixed reactions. Some of the poems captured the essential 'Finnish spirit', for me. However, others reminded me of occasions on Finnish holidays when we used to asked my mother to translate what she was listening to on the radio that had her in fits of laughter - well, the humour just didn't translate. Likewise with these poems, I feel that some of the sentiments expressed don't quite translate.