Jónas Hallgrímsson

Sveinn Yngvi Egilsson (University of Iceland)
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Jónas Hallgrímsson is the single most influential poet of modern Icelandic literature. “His work transformed the literary sensibility of his countrymen, reshaped the language of their poetry and prose, opened their eyes to the beauty of their land and its natural features, and accelerated their determination to achieve political independence” (Dick Ringler). Along with the other members of the group associated with the periodical

Fjölnir

(issued 1835-39 and 1843-1846), Jónas defined Icelandic national Romanticism for decades to come, and after his premature death became its poetical icon. When Iceland gained full independence from Denmark in 1918 and became a republic in 1944 (it had been a province in the Danish state since the late 14th century), Jónas’s poetry gradually lost…

1249 words

Citation: Yngvi Egilsson, Sveinn. "Jónas Hallgrímsson". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 12 September 2022 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=14820, accessed 03 October 2024.]

14820 Jónas Hallgrímsson 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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