I couldnt fathom why i hadnt heard of the poem before. Susanna nieds remarkably beautiful translation was awarded the americanscandinavian pen translation prize by michael. Contemporary poets have used the alphabet constraint on a grand scale, creating long poems, such as carolyn forches on earth, and even throughout entire books, such as inger christensens alphabet and harryette mullens sleeping with the dictionary. Inger christensens book alphabet approaches language in an interesting and mathematical way. Christensens poem is a powerful account of living an ordinary life under the threat of nuclear war, but the poems lyrical accumulating form also makes it oddly redemptive. Mar 17, 2020 alphabet an excerpt inger christensen alphabet. Inger christensen s alphabet in polish translation. Happiness is the change that comes over me when i describe the world it comes over the world happiness is the change that comes over me when im afraid it comes over the world for instance i can be afraid of and for the world afraid because the world consists among other things of me so swiftly dying, doves exist, dreamers, and dolls.
This land art project for landshape is located on the grounds of the gasmuseet, hobro. Inger christensen was one of denmarks most innovative experimental poets. After that she opted for the life of a freelance writer. Her poetry reflects a complex philosophical background, yet her most complex. Ailbhe darcy, introducing inger christensens alphabet on bbc radio 4s. Is it the dreamed summer hour of my childhood shattered as. Alphabet builds on her earlier analogies between language and. Two bracken exists and blackberries, blackberries bromine exists and hydrogen, hydrogen three cicadas exist, chicory, chromium, citrus trees cicadas exist cicadas, cedars, cypresses, the cerebellum four doves exist, dreamers and dolls killers exist and doves and doves haze, dioxin and days days exist, days and death. She received numerous international literary awards, including the nordic prize of the swedish academy, the grand prix des biennales. Susanna nieds remarkably beautiful translation was awarded the americanscandinavian pen translation prize by michael hamburger. Alphabet poetry by inger christensen translated from the portuguese by susanna nied finally available in english translation, alphabet is a startling and gorgeous work by denmarks most admired poet, inger christensen.
Nov, 2015 born in 1935, inger christensen is denmarks best known poet. Per the title, it is an alphabet poem, so each section begins with and rotates around words beginning with a. It is inspired by the poem alphabet 1981 by inger christensen, a. Written during the cold war, its an account of living. Its natural, chemical, industrial, and other structures divide, celllike, into a growing universethe accumulation of like sounds and repeated. Per the title, it is an alphabet poem, so each section begins with and rotates around words beginning with a particular letter of the alphabet, proceeding through the letter n. In the spring of 2011, i happened upon inger christensens alphabet, a slim new directions paperback, and came under the spell of its exquisite structure almost immediately. Jan 12, 2009 inger christensen, a distinguished danish poet whose work lyrical, philosophical, selfreferential and exquisitely mathematical was a cornerstone of modern scandinavian poetry, died on jan. Inger christensen alphabet pdf one of scandinavias most honored poets, veteran danish writer christensen originally published her booklength alphabet 20 years ago to great acclaim. The gorgeous poetry herein reflects a complex philosophical background, yet has a. Her works include poetry, fiction, drama, and essays. Inger christensen was a danish poet, novelist, essayist and editor. Susanna nied, the translator responsible for bringing inger christensens work to american audiences said, inger wanted the first poems in alphabet to be like the poems that the first humans must have composed, maybe somewhere in caves.
Inger christensens alphabet new directions, 2001 is a book that made me hesitate at first, then won me over. Nov 30, 2009 description apricot trees exist, inspired by alphabet, the celebrated epic poem by danish experimentalist inger christensen, is roger sinhas cosmic dance ode to the metaphysical in everyday life. I up they soar, the planets butterflies, pigments from the warm body of the earth, cinnabar, ochre, phosphor yellow, gold a swarm of basic elements aloft. Inger christensen inger christensen poems poem hunter. Inger christensen alphabet alphabet is one of the most wellknown poems of inger christensen, who was broadly considered to be denmarks most prominent poet. In inger christensens long poem alphabet, first published in danish in 1981, the poet cooks potatoes. Inger christensen 16 january 1935 2 january 2009 was a danish poet, novelist, essayist and editor. Jun 24, 2012 alex middleton reads her translations of inger christensen s alphabet at the other room. Alphabet an excerpt poem by inger christensen poem hunter. Apr 12, 2020 inger christensen was both a virtuoso and a paradox. Inger christensen, a distinguished danish poet whose work lyrical, philosophical, selfreferential and exquisitely mathematical was a. Inger christensens alphabet discussed in radio 4 feature christensens poem is a powerful account of living an ordinary life under the threat of nuclear war, but the poems lyrical accumulating form also makes it oddly redemptive.
Is this flickering of wings only a shoal of light particles, a quirk of perception. In alphabet, inger christensen has created a system by combining the alphabet with fibonacci s numeric sequence, in which each number is equal to the sum of the two. The poem was originally published in 1981 in danish as alfabet. She is considered the foremost danish poetic experimentalist of her generation. Jan 02, 2009 inger christensen, danish poet whose linguistically sophisticated work explores the interconnections of language, fiction, and reality. Born in 1935, inger christensen is denmarks best known poet. In nocturne, claire wahmanholm beckons our attention to the lives, both around us and within us, that bloom in darkness.
Each section also gets increasingly long, as christensen uses the. After further research about the process and restrictions that christensen succumbed to, it is obvious that her messages and talent are not limited by the form she used. Inger christensen was born in vejle denmark, and was one of europes leading contemporary experimentalists. An english language translation by susanna nied won the americanscandinavian pen translation prize in 1982. Poet ailbhe darcy delves into the poem alphabet and what it means to her.
Jan 26, 2009 in the 1970s inger christensen turned to essays, novels and childrens books before returning to poetry with alphabet and the 1991 sommerfugledalen the butterfly valley, which critics hailed as. It was published in 1981, by the danish poet inger christensen. Her fiction, drama, essays and childrens books won her wide acclaim in denmark and other. Inger christensens alphabet is built up under two formal constraints.
Inger christensen poems, quotations and biography on inger christensen poet page. A structural wonder, based on the fibonacci sequence and made alive by inger christensen. Inger christensen poems poems of inger christensen. Each section also gets increasingly long, as christensen uses the fibonacci sequence to determine the number of lines. Not all readers will take to these alphabet poems, for they must be read slowly. Finally available in english translation, alphabet is a startling and gorgeous work by denmarks most admired poet, inger christensen. Read all poems of inger christensen and infos about inger christensen. She initially studied medicine but then trained to be a teacher, and from 1963 to 1964 she worked at the college for arts in holb. Apr 20, 2020 danish alphabet poem posted on april 20, 2020 by alya the condition of secrecy teems with inger christensen experimental danish inger christensen experimental danish inger christensen experimental danish lydfabet rudiger meyer. While she turns a potato under the running water, atom bombs exist.
The choice of constraint by rebecca hazelton poetry foundation. Inger christensen, who has died aged 73, was one of the most significant european poets of the 20th century. Its inventive structure, based on the fibonacci sequence the number of lines in each section follow the pattern 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, etc. Through wahmanholms engagement with an epigraph drawn from inger christensens poetry collection alphabet, a book in which christensten uses a formal approach based on the fibonnaci. Christensen is considered to be one the greatest danish poetic experimentalists of her era.
Description apricot trees exist, inspired by alphabet, the celebrated epic poem by danish experimentalist inger christensen, is roger sinhas cosmic dance ode to the metaphysical in everyday life. Inger christensen was a danish poet, essayist, and novelist, born in vejle, denmark in 1935. Inger christensen s alphabet is built up under two formal constraints. Alex middleton reads her translations of inger christensens alphabet at the other room. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. A 200page exploration of the word it, the poem reveals the intellectual influence of thinkers such as lars gustafsson, soren kierkegaard, noam chomsky, and r. Inger christensen was both a virtuoso and a paradox. Susanna nieds translation of alphabet introduces inger christensens poetry to us readers for the first time.
Ailbhe darcy, introducing inger christensens alphabet on bbc radio. Inger christensen was born in vejle, denmark in 1935. Its natural, chemical, industrial, and other structures divide, celllike, into a growing universethe accumulation of like sounds and repeated words underscores the increased length of each poem. Alphabet is one of the most wellknown poems of inger christensen, who was broadly considered to be denmarks most prominent poet. She was danish, and it is a misfortune for any great writer to be confined to a. Dec 10, 2008 inger christensen s alphabet is built up under two formal constraints. She is perhaps best known for her major poem alfabet alphabet, 1981, a systematic work which uses the. Uncategorized and tagged afric mcglinchey, danish, inger christiansen, poem, poet, poetry by afric mcglinchey. Her awardwinning alphabet is based structurally on fibonaccis sequence a mathematical sequence in which each number is the sum of the two previous numbers, in combination with the alphabet. Inger christensen biography, poems, alphabet, it, butterfly. Inger christensen, danish poet whose linguistically sophisticated work explores the interconnections of language, fiction, and reality. Phenomenal woman, still i rise, the road not taken, if you forget me, dreams. While she stands in the kitchen peeling potatoes under the tap, atom bombs exist. Susanna nied on translating alphabet by inger christensen.
The daughter of a tailor living on denmarks jutland coast, she graduated from vejle gymnasium in 1954 and studied at teachers college in arhus. Alphabet is a systematic poem that is dictated by the fibonacci sequence. Poem hunter all poems of by inger christensen poems. The choice of constraint by rebecca hazelton poetry.
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