Poems

Siljo, Juhani, 1888-1918Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.0

Word count: 23K words
Chapters: 3

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Runot by Juhani SiljoAuthor: Siljo, Juhani, 1888-1918,Language: Finnish, Class: PH: Language and Literatures: Finno-Ugrian and Basque languages and literatures, Release Date: Nov 23, 2012

Editor's review

Runot is a poetry collection by the Finnish poet Juhani Siljo, written in Finnish and belonging to the early modern strand of Finnish-language literature. Siljo was born in 1888 and died young in 1918; his career was brief, and his poems are often considered to carry a distinct personal lyric quality and the anxieties of his era. The collection offers readers an entry into Finnish poetry in its original form; its length suits reading in sections, its language is condensed and strongly rhythmic, and it is well suited to appreciating the sound patterns of Finnish in poetry. For readers studying Nordic literature or the Finnish language, it is a primary text for understanding Finnish poetry in the early twentieth century. Note that the book is in the original Finnish; without a translation the barrier to understanding is high, so it is better suited to readers with some language foundation or those willing to work through each poem with tools, not as an introductory foreign-poetry reader.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Learners with Finnish foundation who wish to read the original poems
Scholars and students of Nordic literature and Finnish poetry
Poetry readers interested in early 20th-century European lyric poetry
Language enthusiasts willing to read the original closely poem by poem with a dictionary

Not a good fit for

General readers with no Finnish who need a Chinese translation
Readers expecting plot-driven narrative works
Beginners seeking light, entertaining poetry reading

Reading tips

Read through the contents first, start with short poems, and gradually adapt to the language's rhythm.
Read the lines aloud to feel Finnish sound patterns, then use a dictionary to understand meaning.
Use Finnish literary history materials to learn the poet's era and background.
Read one or two poems closely at a time and take brief notes; avoid browsing vaguely.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is there a Chinese translation of this book?

This edition is the Finnish original released by Project Gutenberg, with no Chinese translation included. Readers without Finnish need a dictionary or a parallel translation, otherwise comprehension is difficult.

What is the background of the poet Siljo?

Juhani Siljo (1888–1918) was a Finnish poet with a short writing career. His poems are part of early 20th-century Finnish poetry; for biographical details, consult reliable Finnish literary sources.

Is it suitable as an introduction to foreign poetry?

Not very. The original is in Finnish, and the poetry is condensed with a specific cultural context, so the barrier is high without a translation. It is more recommended for readers with some Finnish foundation or a background in Nordic literature.

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About the author

Siljo, Juhani, 1888-1918 Author

Juhani Siljo (1888–1918) was a Finnish poet and literary critic. Public information about him is limited; his life was short, yet he left six works. His poetry collections, such as Maan puoleen and Selvään veteen, are known for lyrical poems and aphoristic short verse, with concise language and restrained emotion, often viewing the tension between reality and ideals through personal inner experience. His play Seppelöity: Murheellinen komedia uses tragicomic form to offer ironic observations on life. He also wrote critical portraits of the writers Eino Leino and Teuvo Pakkala, showing his attention to and critical eye for the Finnish literary tradition. Combining creative writing with criticism, he holds a place in early twentieth-century Finnish literature.