Aaro Hellaakoski
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Aaro Hellaakoski (June 22, 1893 – November 23, 1952) was a Finnish poet whose work includes some of the earliest examples of modernism in Finnish literature.
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[edit] Early life
Aaro Hellaakoski was born in Oulu as the first son of Antti Rietrikki Helaakoski, a teacher and later Ph.D., and Aina Maria (Lindman) Helaakoski. Because of his harelip, he was mocked by other children, and at home his relationship with his stern father was strained. Hellaakoski studied in Oulu and Turku. After graduating he moved to Helsinki, where he added one "l" to his name, thus it became Hellaakoski. In 1919 he received his M.A.from the University of Helsinki. At that time his relationship with his father had become better - they both loved nature and science, and he ofted visited his family, which had moved to Tampere. After the conquest of Tampere during the Civil War (1917-18), Hellaakoski joined the White Army. He did not serve in the front but as a guard in a prison.
Hellaakoski was married to Lempi Aaltonen, a teacher, and the sculptor Wäinö Aaltonen's sister. They had met in 1921 and Hellaakoski fell immediately in love with the beautiful, dark, intelligent woman, who loved music. In autumn 1921 Hellaakoski gave her his new book, Elegiasta Oodin (1921), which included some strong love poems. However, his temperament frightened her - "Sharp teeth and hard mouth / I have always had", Hellaakoski once wrote. In a love poem from 1921, inspired by Lempi and starting with the words "You are mine," he wrote: "Tuta saata: joku kestävä voima / käy hyökyen ylitses - / olet kaipuuni kummitsoima / kunkin viekin askeles". Hellaakoski compared his passion to waves surging over her. Lempi Aaltonen first rejected Hellaakoski but eventually in 1924 she accepted his proposal.
[edit] Writing career
In Helsinki Hellaakoski became associated with artists, the writer Viljo Kojo, and the young sculptor Wäinö Aaltonen, and his classical, pure expression. Aaltonen, who illustrated Hellaakoski's poems, made in 1919 a bronze portrait of his friend. In 1938 they travelled through Italy and Hellaakoski recorded his impression in the article "Italia Bella".
Hellaakoski's first collection of poems, Runoja (1916), satirized bourgeois mentality and empty merriments. Hellaakoski also formulated his aesthetic principle in 1916 in his poem "Conceptio artis": "Naked is how I want you, / unadorned unpainted, / by others' cheap / gifts untainted.". As a poet Hellaakoski was a visionary. He strove for a personal, powerful poetry, while also seeking spiritual expression. Hellaakoski's first period is characterized by revolt against empty traditions and an assault on the bourgeoisie conformity; in his latter period the poet found his inspiration in the pantheistic acceptance of the unity of man and the world.
The poems of this period, Nimettömiä lauluja (1918) and Me Kaksi (1920), reflected satirical tones alternated with feelings on loneliness. In the 1920s Hellaakoski became a prolific writer. He published three collections of poems, studies of the artists Tyko Sallinen and Wäinö Aaltonen, and a collection of short stories, Iloinen Yllätys (1927). With Jääpeil (1928) Hellaakoski reached the pinnacle of his early period. Its innovative pictorial typography in 'Sade' and 'Dolce far niente' recalled Apollinaire's Calligrammes (1918). Jääpeili included the famous poem Hauen laulu (The Song of a Pike): "Kosteasta kodostaan / nous hauki puuhun laulamaan /". The poet considered it his best achievement; the unique image of creativity and inspiration in 'Hauen laulu' - a pike singing on a branch of a tree - has been a subject of many interpretations.
The poems were inspired by Cubism and the works of the Italian poet F.T. Marinetti (1876-1944). Hellaakoski's enthusiasm about urban visual landscape had also connections with the youthful romanticism of Mika Waltari and Olavi Paavolainen, whose collection of poems, Valtatiet, appeared in the same year although his remained a unique experimentation until the 1960s.
Several poems, such as "Uni" (dream), "Vieras" (guest), "Outo kieli" (strange language), and "Tyranni" (tyrant), recorded intime moments from Hellaakoski's family life, his happiness and responsibility as a father. "Rakas silmä ummistui, / hymyyn huuli unohtui. / Ken on, ken on vierelläni / hengittäin mun henkeäni?" (from 'Vieras') After Jääpeili, which sold poorly, he did not publish collections for over 12 years.
[edit] Teaching
From 1925 to 1927 Hellaakoski worked as a teacher at a lycée (Helsingin suomalainen yhteislyseo), and then became a teacher at Helsingin suomalainen tyttölyseo (later Tyttönormaalilyseo), working there until 1952. Hellaakoski received his Ph.D. in geology in 1929, and from 1930 to 1949 he was a lecturer at the University of Helsinki. In the 1930s Hellaakoski did not publish poetry, but concentrated on teaching and scientific work.
[edit] Return to poetry 1941 - death
His first new collection, the patriotic Vartiossa (1941) emerged from a spiritual crisis, which initiated his second creative period. Before the Winter War (1939-40) Hellaakoski had believed that the edition of his selected poems would be a "gravestone for a living body", but the war broke the deadlock. He read Fröding, Rilke, Goethe, and Verlaine and felt that he still had something to say as a poet. Uusi Runo(1943) - the title meaning "new poem" - was written during the Continuation War at night. Major works from this later period include Huojuvat Keulat (1946) and Sarjoja (1952), a cycle of alternating long and short verses about nature and travellers there.
After World War II, Hellaakoski joined the leftist Kiila (wedge) group, but remained critical and independent on its politics. Kiila was founded in the 1930s. Its members, such as Viljo Kajava and Arvo Turtiainen, favored free verse and were more or less Marxist.
Hellaakoski died of cancer on November 23, 1952 in Helsinki. By an accident his novel manuscript Raskas-Matti was burned with his own selection of disposable writings.
[edit] Examples of poetry
[edit] 1943
| “ | Jos on sinua
niin kuin minua kiskottu kahtaalle, uuvuksiin, tietänet senkin: uupuenkin alati uudestisynnyttiin (from 'Pientä kokoa' in the collection Uusi runo, 1943) |
” |
[edit] 1946
| “ | A race of sucklers, with gnashing jaws,
you finished the tale of the dinosaurus, but you'll never rise above the earth as we: you're dust and soil and dearth, an organised pack with famished maws. - Maybe you'll rise from your mud one day. How much, it's up to you say." (from 'The Last Dinosaur' in Huojuvat keulat, 1946) |
” |
[edit] Other work
Besides poems Hellaakoski published essays, short stories and aphorisms. He was an amateur painter, but destroyed most of his works, sparing only some watercolors. Between 1921 and 1923 he made some thirty watercolor paintings. Hellaakoski was familiar with Expressionism, Cubism, and theories of Futurism, which also influenced his literary work. Niinkuin minä näin (1959) was Hellaakoski's biography of the expressionist artist Tyko Sallinen.
[edit] Bibliography
[edit] Poetry
- Runot, 1916
- Nimettömiä lauluja, 1918
- Me kaksi, 1920
- Elegiasta oodiin, 1921
- Maininki ja vaahtopää, 1924
- Jääpeili, 1928
- Valitut runot, 1940
- Vartiossa, 1943
- Uusi runo,
- Huojuvat keulat, 1946
- Hiljaisuus, 1949
- Sarjoja, 1952 (suomalaisen lyriikan suurimpia teoksia)
- Huomenna seestyvää, 1953,
- Nimettömiä lauluja, 1918
[edit] Short Novels
- Suljettujen ovien takana, 1923, ekspressionistinen romaani
- Iloinen yllätys, 1927, novellikokoelma
- Kuuntelua, 1950, esseitä
[edit] Other
- Puulaan järviryhmän kehityshistoria, 1928
- Suursaimaa, (maantieteellis-geologinen tutkimus)
- T. K. Sallinen, 1921
- Aleksis Kiven palkinto 1946
- Niinkuin minä näin. 1959.(T.K. Sallisesta, Wäinö Aaltosesta ja kuvataiteesta)
