The New York herald., 1922-01-15
Iceland Warm to Poets

novelists VINO have been hailed in
Scandinavia as worthy to stand beside
Ibsen, Bjornson and Strindberg.
The Icelandic Government is always
digging down into it's collective pocket
to help some writer or other. Let
man show that he has drunk of the
hippocrene and funds will come from
somewhere to enable him to study and
travel abroad, and to pursue his art.
One case would be particularly inter
esting TO American readers 1t is that
OF the poet, Stephan G.. Stephansson,
an Icelandic eXpatriate who has be-
come a citizen of Canada. Stephansson
was born in Iceland, came to America
when he was twenty, settling first in
the United States and then in Canada.
For years he has lived ON a farm in
Alberta. Shortly after his arrival In
America he began writing poems in
his native tongue, and in 1894 he pub
lished a volume "A Vidavangi" the
English equivalent of which is I'm the
Open Air In 1909 his complete
works up TO that time were published
under the title of "Andvokur,'' or
Lying Awake"
AoiiS pSiOlc Lying AWdht dD-
peared Stephansson was well known
in Iceland. Articles about him had
appeared in the leading reviews, and
his work was spoken of highly. He
is not a popular writer, and belongs
rather to the line of metaphysical
poets" His work is very original and
rich in imagination, but it is difficult
heavy with thought.
Now the Icelanders when they ad-
mire poet like to do something for
him. They realize what a precious
heritage a nations literature is and
they know that IL is mighty hard for
poets even when they live on the soil
and work with their hands to keep
their heads above the economic water
level. They do not take much stock in
the old fable which has gained so
much credence among us that starva-
ton is good for geniuses or that II in
spires them greatly.
In 1917 a movement was set afoot
by a number of Icelandic societies to
invite the expatriate Stephanssop to
visit his native land as the guest of the
Government and the people. These
societies gathered funds and the Gov
ernment lent it's aid. In the summer
of 1917 they had Stephansson over as
the guest Of the nation and enter
tanned him royalty. When he left In
the autumn the Icelandic Government
presented him with a purse of five
thousand crowns.
What would America do II she were
suddenly to have a change OF heart
and become as liberal to writer's and
artists as is the little commonwealth
up there toward the Arctic Sea? She
would begin, let us say. by inviting
Edward Arlington Robinson to be-
come the guest of the nation for a
year. take him on a tour of the world
conducted by a squadron of battle
ships and when the tour was over
give him a purse of at least five mill
ion dollarsl That done she would ap-
propriate several hundred millions
more to help free our men Of genius
(and we have few from the shallow
waters into which they have fallen
through trying to ride the turf tide of
immediate popular approval
Such a consummation sounds very
fantastic indeed in this practical day
and age. But who knows what the
future may bring? Great and prosper
Gus America may in time become as
liberal a patron of literature as is the
modest island of the sagas.
HOLGER CAHILL.