The 20th century and beyond

At the beginning of the 20th century, Icelandic poetry had lyricists in Þorsteinn Erlingsson, whose early delicacy later developed into a more powerful note in Aldaslagur (1911; “Sound of the Ages”) and in an incomplete epic, Eiðurinn (1913; “The Oath”); in Einar Benediktsson, who wrote in an ornate style sometimes capable of greatness, as “Í dísarhöll” (“In the Hall of the Muses”) shows; and in Stephan G. Stephansson, an expatriate farmer in Canada who was a more bitter poet, although the collection Andvökur, 6 vol. (1909–38; “Sleepless Nights”), reveals a sensitive spirit.

Prominent poets of the next generation include Davíd Stefánsson, a traditionalist who expressed deep personal feelings in straightforward language and simple verse forms. His approach was shared by Tómas Guðmundsson and by Jón Helgason. Steinn Steinarr (Aðalsteinn Kristmundsson), who was deeply influenced by Surrealism, experimented with abstract styles and spearheaded modernism in Icelandic poetry with his collection Ljóð (1937; “Poems”).

After the middle of the 20th century, several poets distinguished themselves. The early works of Hannes Pétursson show great sensitivity and skill in adapting Icelandic to new, European metres. Pétursson’s later poems (such as those in the collection Ur hugskoti [1976; “Recollections”]) reveal a movement away from innovative forms to more traditional verse. Other poets contemporary to Pétursson include Þorsteinn frá Hamri and Sigurður Pálsson. The poems in Hamri’s Veðrahjálmur (1972; “Sun Rings”) grapple with questions about lasting values, particularly with the possibility of realizing human fellowship in the modern world. Pálsson’s Ljóð vega salt (1975; “Poems on the See-Saw”) combines autobiographical elements with philosophical questioning about the nature of contemporary life. Matthías Johannessen, with roots in modernism, drew successfully on the saga tradition in poems that depict ordinary life in language rich in imagery. Among women poets, the unadorned poems of Ingibjörg Haraldsdóttir focus on the theme of love.

Drama

Icelandic drama started to develop in earnest with Jóhann Sigurjónsson, whose first success was Fjalla-Eyvindur (1911; Eyvind of the Hills), followed by Galdra-Loftur (1915; “Loftur the Sorcerer”); both plays were based on powerful folktales. Guðmundur Kamban’s Hadda Padda (1914; Eng. trans. Hadda Padda) was highly praised by Georg Brandes, and he remained important in Scandinavian drama for the next quarter of a century. After Kamban, there were few plays of lasting value, though Davíd Stefánsson’s Gullna hliðið (1941; “The Golden Gate”), Jakob Jónsson’s Tyrkja-Gudda (published 1948), and Agnar Þórðarson’s satiric comedy of modern Reykjavík life, Kjarnorka og kvenhylli (1957; “Nuclear Force and Female Popularity”), had considerable merit. In Ganksklukkan (1962; The Cuckoo Clock) Þórðarson produced a powerful play on the dehumanizing effect of modern life. The years after the 1960s were a productive period for Icelandic drama. One of the leading Icelandic playwrights in the later 20th century was Birgir Sigurðsson, whose Dagur vonar (1987; “A Day of Hope”) achieved success in Iceland and beyond.