Herman Wildenvey
Encyclopedia
Herman Wildenvey born Herman Theodor Portaas, was one of the most prominent Norwegian
poet
s of the twentieth century. During his lifetime he published 44 books of his own poetry, in addition to translations of William Shakespeare
, Ernest Hemingway
, and Heinrich Heine
.
, near the city of Drammen
. His childhood home, from which he got his birthname, was called Portåsen. In 1912, he married Jonette Kramer Andreassen (1895–1985), who took the name Gisken (Wildenvey) upon the wedding.
After living some years in Oslo
and Copenhagen
, the couple settled in the small coastal town of Stavern
in 1923, where they built their home Hergisheim in 1927 ("Herman og Giskens Heim"; "Herman and Gisken's Home"). The couple lived there for the rest of their lives.
In 1955, four years before he died, Herman Wildenvey was honoured with title of Commander of the Royal Order of St. Olav in merit of his writing. He died in his home town of Stavern.
titles shown in parentheses.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
poet
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
s of the twentieth century. During his lifetime he published 44 books of his own poetry, in addition to translations of William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
, Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Miller Hemingway was an American author and journalist. His economic and understated style had a strong influence on 20th-century fiction, while his life of adventure and his public image influenced later generations. Hemingway produced most of his work between the mid-1920s and the...
, and Heinrich Heine
Heinrich Heine
Christian Johann Heinrich Heine was one of the most significant German poets of the 19th century. He was also a journalist, essayist, and literary critic. He is best known outside Germany for his early lyric poetry, which was set to music in the form of Lieder by composers such as Robert Schumann...
.
Biography
Wildenvey was born in MjøndalenMjøndalen
Mjøndalen is the administrative centre of Nedre Eiker municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. It is situated south of the Drammenselva River opposite of Krokstadelva. -History:...
, near the city of Drammen
Drammen
Drammen is a city in Buskerud County, Norway. The port and river city of Drammen is centrally located in the eastern and most populated part of Norway.-Location:...
. His childhood home, from which he got his birthname, was called Portåsen. In 1912, he married Jonette Kramer Andreassen (1895–1985), who took the name Gisken (Wildenvey) upon the wedding.
After living some years in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
and Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, the couple settled in the small coastal town of Stavern
Stavern
Stavern is a small Norwegian town located in the municipality of Larvik, south of the city of Larvik in Vestfold.The port and naval base of Stavern was established as a municipality January 1, 1838 . Even though it was an important port it was first given its status as a town July 1, 1942...
in 1923, where they built their home Hergisheim in 1927 ("Herman og Giskens Heim"; "Herman and Gisken's Home"). The couple lived there for the rest of their lives.
In 1955, four years before he died, Herman Wildenvey was honoured with title of Commander of the Royal Order of St. Olav in merit of his writing. He died in his home town of Stavern.
Original works
Direct translations of NorwegianNorwegian language
Norwegian is a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is the official language. Together with Swedish and Danish, Norwegian forms a continuum of more or less mutually intelligible local and regional variants .These Scandinavian languages together with the Faroese language...
titles shown in parentheses.
- 1902 Campanula
- 1907 Nyinger ("Camp Fires")
- 1908 Digte ("Poems")
- 1910 Ringsgang ("Walking in Circles")
- 1911 Prismer ("Prisms")
- 1913 Lys over land ("Light Over Land")
- 1913 Årets eventyr ("The Adventure of the Year")
- 1915 Brendende Hjerter ("Burning Hearts")
- 1916 Kjærtegn ("Caresses")
- 1917 Digte i utvalg ("Selected Poems")
- 1917 Flygtninger ("Fugitives")
- 1919 Hemeligheter ("Secrets")
- 1919 Alle slags vers ("All Sorts of Verse")
- 1920 Troll i ord ("Words Come True")
- 1920 Den glemte have ("The Forgotten Garden")
- 1921 Nedfallsfrugt ("Fruit on the Ground")
- 1922 Nye digte i udvalg ("New Selected Poems")
- 1923 Ildorkestret ("The Fire Orchestra")
- 1924 Streiftog i hjembygden ("Home Town Revisited")
- 1925 Fiken av tistler ("Figs out of Thistles")
- 1926 Der falder stjerner ("Stars are Falling")
- 1926 Prosa i utvalg ("Selected Prose")
- 1927 Samlede digt ("Collected Poems")
- 1927 Et Herrens år ("A Year of The Lord", or "Anno Domini")
- 1930 Dagenes sang, Ringen ("The Song of Days", "The Ring")
- 1931 Høstens lyre ("The Harp of Autumn")
- 1931 Digte i utvalg ("Selected Poems")
- 1932 På ville veier ("Running Wild")
- 1935 Stjernenes speil ("Mirrors of the Stars")
- 1936 Samlede digt ("Collected Poems")
- 1936 En ung manns flukt ("A Young Man's Escape")
- 1937 Vingehesten og verden ("The Winged Horse and the World") (translated into German the same year, as Mein Pegasus)
- 1938 Den nye rytmen ("The New Rhythm")
- 1940 En lykkelig tid ("Happy Days")
- 1941 Samlede dikt ("Collected Poems")
- 1946 Filomele
- 1947 Ved sangens kilder ("At the Springs of Song")
- 1948 Ringsgang (revised version of the 1910 edition)
- 1950 Mine sangers bok ("The Book of My Songs")
- 1952 Polyhymnia
- 1953 Ugler til Athen (translated by Joseph AuslanderJoseph AuslanderJoseph Auslander was an American poet, anthologist, translator of poems, and novelist...
as Owls to Athens) - 1956 Soluret ("The Sundial")
- 1957 Samlede dikt ("Collected Poems")
- 1969 Efterklang ("Aftertones") (edited by his wife, Gisken Wildenvey)
Translations
- 1912 William ShakespeareWilliam ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
: As you like itAs You Like ItAs You Like It is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 or early 1600 and first published in the folio of 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 has been suggested as a possibility...
(Norw. title: Livet i skogen; "Life in the Forest") - 1926 Paul Géraldy: Toi et moi (Norw. title: Du og jeg; "You and Me")
- 1929 Heinrich HeineHeinrich HeineChristian Johann Heinrich Heine was one of the most significant German poets of the 19th century. He was also a journalist, essayist, and literary critic. He is best known outside Germany for his early lyric poetry, which was set to music in the form of Lieder by composers such as Robert Schumann...
: Buch der Lieder (Norw. title: Sangenes bok; "The Book of Songs") - 1930 Ernest HemingwayErnest HemingwayErnest Miller Hemingway was an American author and journalist. His economic and understated style had a strong influence on 20th-century fiction, while his life of adventure and his public image influenced later generations. Hemingway produced most of his work between the mid-1920s and the...
: A Farewell to ArmsA Farewell to ArmsA Farewell to Arms is a semi-autobiographical novel written by Ernest Hemingway concerning events during the Italian campaigns during the First World War. The book, which was first published in 1929, is a first-person account of American Frederic Henry, serving as a Lieutenant in the ambulance...
(Norw. title: Farvel til våpnene) - 1931 Liam O'FlahertyLiam O'FlahertyLiam O'Flaherty was a significant Irish novelist and short story writer and a major figure in the Irish literary renaissance, born August 28, 1896, died September 7, 1984.-Biography:...
: Mr. Gilhooley - 1942 AisōposAesopAesop was a Greek writer credited with a number of popular fables. Older spellings of his name have included Esop and Isope. Although his existence remains uncertain and no writings by him survive, numerous tales credited to him were gathered across the centuries and in many languages in a...
: Aesop's FablesAesop's FablesAesop's Fables or the Aesopica are a collection of fables credited to Aesop, a slave and story-teller believed to have lived in ancient Greece between 620 and 560 BCE. The fables remain a popular choice for moral education of children today...
(Norw. title: Æsops fabler)