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Aaro Hellaakoski (1893-1952) - surname originally Helaakoski | |
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Poet, Ph.D. (in geology), pioneer of modernism in literature in Finland. Hellaakoski showed new directions for poetry with his meters that differed from the norm. He published some twelve collections, but ceased writing poetry from the late 1920s to 1940, concentrating during those years to teaching and researching. "A race of sucklers, with gnashing jaws, Aaro Hellaakoski was born in Oulu, the first son of Antti Rietrikki Helaakoski, a geography 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. Upon graduting 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. The treatment of Red prisoners after the war shocked Hellaakoski. However, the poem 'Rajasuutari' in Me kaksi (1920, We two), about a Red cobbler executed by a firing squad, closes with the uncompromising words: "Se askel, se jyrkin, se kammottaahan: / Tilis tee! Ypöyksinäs outoon maahan!" (That step, the steepest, it horrifies: / Make your will! Alone you go to the strange land!) Hellaakoski was married to Lempi Aaltonen, a teacher, the sculptor Wäinö Aaltonen's sister. They had met in 1921 and Hellaakoski fell immediately in love with the beautiful, dark, intelligent woman. Hellaakoski gave her his new book, Elegiasta oodiin (1921, From elegy to ode), which included some strong love poems. In a 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. His temperament frightened her – "Sharp teeth and hard mouth / I have always had," Hellaakoski once wrote. The writer Joel Lehtonen witnessed the wedding. According to a story, after the priest had asked "do you want...", Hellaakoski had answered "yes" so loud, that the priest took a few frightened steps backwards. In Helsinki Hellaakoski associated with artists, the writer Viljo Kojo, and the young sculptor Wäinö Aaltonen, his a kindred spirit in his classical, pure expression. Aaltonen, who illustrated Hellaakoski's poems, mad in 1919 a bronze portrait of his friend. In 1938 they traveld in Italy and Hellaakoski recorded his impression in the article 'Italia Bella'. Hellaakoski's first collection of poems, Runoja (1916, Poems), satirized bourgeois mentality and empty merriments. The uneven collection received poor reviews – Eino Leino dismissed it as immature both in content and form – but it contained the poem 'Conceptio artis', in which Hellaakoski formulated his esthetic principle: "Naked is how I want you, / unadorned unpainted, / by others' cheap / gifts untainted." (transl. by Keith Bosley) In Nimettömiä lauluja (1918, Nameless songs) and Me kaksi satirical tones alternated with feelings on loneliness; the latter received a good review by Rafael Koskimies in the magazine Aika. The 1920s an intensely creative period for Hellaakoski, who also tried his hand at watercolors. He published three collections of poems, studies of the artists Tyko Sallinen and Wäinö Aaltonen, and a collection of short stories, Iloinen yllätys (1927). V.A. Koskenniemi, the leading writer between the two world wars and the editor of Aika, admired Hellaakoski's work, seeing him as a kindred spirit. After Hellaakoski attacked Eero Järnefelt and Maila Talvio in an article published in Iltalehti, Koskenniemi labelled his work as a critic as literary hysteria, connected with stupidity and delusions of grandeur. With Jääpeili (1928, The ice mirror) Hellaakoski reached the highest point of his early period. Its innovative pictorial typography in 'Sade' and 'Dolce far niente' recalled Apollinaire's Calligrammes (1918). Other sources of inspiration were Cubism and the Italian poet F.T. Marinetti (1876-1944), writer of Manifeste du futurisme (1912). Hellaakoski's enthusiasm about urban visual landscape had also connections with the youthful macine romanticism of Mika Waltari and Olavi Paavolainen, whose collection of poems, Valtatiet, came out in the same year. However, Paavolainen's reaction to the work was negative. Hellaakoski's experimentation remained an unique effort until the 1960s. Jääpeili included Hellaakoski's famous poem 'Hauen laulu' (The Song of a Pike): "Kosteasta kodostaan / nous hauki puuhun laulamaan /" (From his wet home / the pike climbed into a tree to sing). The poet considered it his best achievement; its imagery of creativity and inspiration has been a subject of many interpretations. 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. Moreover, Viljo Tarkiainen did not mention his name in his history of Finland's literature from 1936. 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. His first new collection, the patriotic Vartiossa (1941, On guard) emerged from a spiritual crisis, which started his second creative period. Hellaakoski's angry reply to Koskenniemi's negative review in Valvoja-Aika was not published. Before the Winter War (1939-40) Hellaakoski had thought that the edition of his selected poems would be a "gravestone for a living body," but the war broke his mental dams. He read Fröding, Rilke, Goethe, and Verlaine and felt that he still had someting to say as a poet. Uusi runo (1943) – the title meaning "new poem" – was written during the Continuation War at nights. Major works from this later period include Huojuvat keulat (1946, The swaying prows) and Sarjoja (1952, Suites), a cycle of alternating long and short verses about nature and travellers there. After the war, Hellaakoski joined the leftist Kiila (wedge) group, but remained critical and independent on its politics. Koskenniemi, who had supported the German cause and whose anti-Communist stand was well-known, called him as a turncoat opportunist. Kiila was founded in the 1930s. Its members, such as Viljo Kajava and Arvo Turtiainen, favored free verse and were more or less Marxist. For a period, Hellaakoski served as chief editor of the literary periodical Näköala, founded in 1949. 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. Jos on sinua 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. But for a former image breaker resignation was not easily: "Kapinoinut ja kiistellyt / olenhan. Siinä on syyni. / On niin vaikea olla nyt / alistuvainen ja tyyni." (from 'Suolaa' in Hiljaisuus, 1949) Human aspirations Hellaakoski set against long natural cycles, explaining in his essay Runon historiaa (1964, A history of poetry) that as a geologist he was used to measure time in millions of years. "Enhän geologina osaa katsoa nykyhetkeä ylen likinäköisesti; joskohta aikayksikköni pyrkivät väkisin olemaan kymmeniätuhansia ja miljoonia vuosia. Viisaimmilla vasemmistolaisilla välähtää joskus samallaisia mittalukuja, ja silloin me nyökäytämme toisillemme." (from Runon historiaa; written in 1946-47) In the background of several of his poems was the nature of Taipalsaari, where he spent his summers. Besides poems and geographical papers, 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, The way I saw it) was Hellaakoski's biography of the expressionist artist Tyko Sallinen. For further reading: Aaro Hellaakoski. Ihminen ja runoilija by Unto Kupiainen (1953); Olen, enkä ole. Minuus ja oleminen Aaro Hellaakosken runoudessa by Kaisa Kantola (1972); A History of Finnish Literature by Jaakko Ahokas (1973); 'Nuori Hellaakoski' by Eino S. Repo in Runot by A. Hellaakoski (1980); A Way to Measure Time, ed. by Bo Carpelan et al., (1992); 'Runoilija ja tiedemies: Aaro Hellaakoski' by Anto Leikola in Kansallisgalleria, Vol. 4, ed. by Allan Tiitta (1996); 'Aaro & Lempi Hellaakoski: Tulen luo, tulen luo,' in Suurin on rakkaus by Kaija Valkonen (1997); Skating on the Sea. Poetry from Finland, ed. and trans. by Keith Bosley (1999); A History of Finland's Literature, ed. by George C. Schoolfield (1998) Suomen kansallisbiografia 3, ed. by Matti Klinge (2004); 'Aaro Hellaakoski: Niin pieniksi,' in Pieni runouden asiahakemisto by Petri Liukkonen (2004); Över språkets gränser: en presentation av diktaren Aaro Hellaakoski by Emelie Enckell 2008) - Note: Wäinö Aaltonen used Hellaakoski's facial features in his soldier's monument (1920-21) in Savonlinna and also Aaro and Lempi Hellaakoski in his Aleksis Kivi monument in Tampere. Futurism: See Marinetti, Mayakovsky, Apollinaire, Wyndham Lewis Selected works:
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