The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1909-03-04
poesy.

~~
Atlantic ocean called Iceland. But
altho this little remnant of once
powerful and highly gifted nation are
few, they are, nevertheless, the most
POLITICALLY inclined and gifted people
on earth. 70 read some of their lyric,
heroic and patriotic poems, written by
their most highly inspired poets of Ie-
cent time, is like taking a walk thru
an enchanted land or listening to the
most mystic, beautiful music that ever
was composed and played by mortal
man.
Well, was so fascinated with and
beWitchei by the random recitatiOns
of my father from the Eddas, that
when became little older / started
in all earnest to study the old Morse
language in order TO enjoy the reading
OF this grand and noble literature in
the original tongue 1t was written in.
Later studied German for the sole
and only reason that could be able to
re ad the ella ssic national epics of the
old German tribes or nations, the won-
derful "Nibelungenlied" and the beau
tiful poems and works Of Goethe and
Schiller. l also originally started to
study English long before l even
dreamed of going to this country
mainly because l wanted to be able to
read Chaucer and Shakespeare in their
own language. And if Shakespeare
had written in ten different languages
instead of one I would have studied
them all in order to enjoy his wonder
full works, every line of which is a
poem in itself. If time had be IN min e
to dispose of according to my personal
inclination, would gladly have taken
up the study of SanscriG in order to be
able to read the Vedas, the wonderful
fascinating holy books of the Hindu.
stans, whose origin in time is still a
mystery, but whose literary and special
poetical value is beyond comparison
So would also have studied the Fin
bnish language in order to be abe to
read their grand rational epics en-.
titled "Kalavaia." 1t goes lack to a
time in it's lyric, elegiac and pastoral
poems when all the nations were chill
dren, living ins many dreamlands, and
fairies and goodhearted gods and god
desses walked among them aud took
part in their sorrows and joys, in theil
smiles aud tears, IN their loves anG
hates, in their dreams ard their long
ings. But [ had to be satisfied witt
reading Kalavala in good SW iisf
translation, as have had to be salts
6ed with ie .ding Dante's The Divin,
Com ely, in English and German trans
lations; likewise as much as has bt Ell
translated from the Sanscrit Vedas in
to these two languages.
Poesy is the only real means ty whicl
the original and genuine humane il
the he arts and minds and souls of NOR
tai men can be fairly translated to and b.
ourselves and to each other. Our ever
!, day life is only parody on the tru
and only real life of our innermost eg
4 as it reveals itself in emotions, sent
!. ments and ideals. And as we nee
Q very much to underst and ourselves an
d to be understood by others in Gil
d ferent light than solely and mainly b
our common every day life, cloudy an
l. sordid as it is, and therefore neve
y was meant to be true picture of OF
+ real and ideal self.
el Therefore has the kind, all-lovin
II and all-wise Father, who created US
II Ills own likeness, given to this poor hv
y manity of ours a few of His favori
l. children, whom we cal poets. If
If was not for them we should probab
g, yet be cbattering like the apes fro
,e the treetops or from the caves in cor
a. mon language, void of all sense, beau
10 or intellectual ideals. They have n
q only created the different cultured Ia
e, guages but beautified and immortaliz'
n them. The language of David al
N Job, Virgil, q Homer, q Dante, Goetl
8. and Schiller, Shakespeare and an
in sen, will never and can never d
e. Those languages are as immortal
IN the spiritual minds that created the
sn and lives in them. And the grand a
IN immortal national and religious epi
rn such as the Vedas, the Interchangeable