Gerrit Achterberg (20 May 1905 – 17 January 1962) was a Dutch poet. His early poetry concerned a desire to be united with a beloved in death.
Gerrit Achterberg (1936)
Achterberg was born in Nederlangbroek in the Netherlands as the third son of a family of eight children. He was raised as a Protestant within the Calvinist tradition. His father was a coachman until the automobile gained popularity. Achterberg was a very good student, and in 1924 he embarked on a career as a teacher. In the same year, he made his literary debut together with Arie Dekkers, who had encouraged him to write, together publishing De Zangen van Twee Twintigers (English: The Songs of Two Twenty-Somethings).
Meanwhile, Achterberg became more withdrawn and introverted. After he was turned down by the military due to "sickness of the soul", he threatened to kill himself.
Achterberg's literary career began to take off when Roel Houwink [nl] presented himself as his mentor. Achterberg published his collection "Afvaart" in 1931, in which his famous theme, of a love irrevocably lost, was already strongly present. After the publication of "Afvaart", Achterberg suffered a mental breakdown and was committed to a psychiatric institution several times. His mental instability caused occasional violent outbursts.
These eruptions of violence escalated in 1937. At that time, Achterberg was living in Utrecht and was again engaged to be married. On 15 December 1937 he tried to force himself on Bep van Es, the 16-year-old daughter of his landlady. When the latter tried to stop him, he shot and killed her, and wounded her daughter. After the shooting, he turned himself in and was sentenced to involuntary commitment. He was committed until 1943. During this commitment and the period following (between 1939 and 1953), he published 22 collections of poetry. In 1946 he married his childhood friend Cathrien van Baak, with whom he lived in Leusden until he died from a heart attack in 1962.[1]
Achterberg's most famous work is the BalladReiziger doet Golgotha (A Tourist Does Golgotha) and the sonnet sequence Ballade van de gasfitter (1953;Ballad of the gasfitter). J.M. Coetzee included this sonnet sequence in an anthology of his English translations of Dutch poetry entitled Landscape with Rowers (2004).[2] Earlier in his career, Coetzee also wrote an essay on this sonnet sequence, titled: 'Achterberg's "Ballade van de gasfitter": The Mystery of I and You' (1977),[3]
Margriet Ehlen - Dutch composer who has set some of Achterberg's poetry to music
Referencesedit
^Roy Temple House (1963). Books Abroad. University of Oklahoma. p. 163.
^J.M. Coetzee, Landscape with Rowers, Princeton University Press 2004, ISBN978-0-691-12385-1.
^in which he discusses the shifting point of view in relation the main character of the poem. The essay is included in: J.M. Coetzee, Doubling the Point, Harvard University Press 1992, p.69-90.
External linksedit
Media related to Gerrit Achterberg at Wikimedia Commons
Dutch Royal Library - Detailed Biography and Bibliography in Dutch
File Gerrit Achterberg in the Digital Library of Dutch Literature (DBNL) (including bibliography, primary and secondary texts)
January 01, 1970
gerrit, achterberg, 1905, january, 1962, dutch, poet, early, poetry, concerned, desire, united, with, beloved, death, 1936, achterberg, born, nederlangbroek, netherlands, third, family, eight, children, raised, protestant, within, calvinist, tradition, father,. Gerrit Achterberg 20 May 1905 17 January 1962 was a Dutch poet His early poetry concerned a desire to be united with a beloved in death Gerrit Achterberg 1936 Achterberg was born in Nederlangbroek in the Netherlands as the third son of a family of eight children He was raised as a Protestant within the Calvinist tradition His father was a coachman until the automobile gained popularity Achterberg was a very good student and in 1924 he embarked on a career as a teacher In the same year he made his literary debut together with Arie Dekkers who had encouraged him to write together publishing De Zangen van Twee Twintigers English The Songs of Two Twenty Somethings Meanwhile Achterberg became more withdrawn and introverted After he was turned down by the military due to sickness of the soul he threatened to kill himself Achterberg s literary career began to take off when Roel Houwink nl presented himself as his mentor Achterberg published his collection Afvaart in 1931 in which his famous theme of a love irrevocably lost was already strongly present After the publication of Afvaart Achterberg suffered a mental breakdown and was committed to a psychiatric institution several times His mental instability caused occasional violent outbursts These eruptions of violence escalated in 1937 At that time Achterberg was living in Utrecht and was again engaged to be married On 15 December 1937 he tried to force himself on Bep van Es the 16 year old daughter of his landlady When the latter tried to stop him he shot and killed her and wounded her daughter After the shooting he turned himself in and was sentenced to involuntary commitment He was committed until 1943 During this commitment and the period following between 1939 and 1953 he published 22 collections of poetry In 1946 he married his childhood friend Cathrien van Baak with whom he lived in Leusden until he died from a heart attack in 1962 1 In 1959 Achterberg received the Constantijn Huygens Prize for his entire body of work Achterberg s most famous work is the Ballad Reiziger doet Golgotha A Tourist Does Golgotha and the sonnet sequence Ballade van de gasfitter 1953 Ballad of the gasfitter J M Coetzee included this sonnet sequence in an anthology of his English translations of Dutch poetry entitled Landscape with Rowers 2004 2 Earlier in his career Coetzee also wrote an essay on this sonnet sequence titled Achterberg s Ballade van de gasfitter The Mystery of I and You 1977 3 See also edit nbsp Poetry portal Margriet Ehlen Dutch composer who has set some of Achterberg s poetry to musicReferences edit Roy Temple House 1963 Books Abroad University of Oklahoma p 163 J M Coetzee Landscape with Rowers Princeton University Press 2004 ISBN 978 0 691 12385 1 in which he discusses the shifting point of view in relation the main character of the poem The essay is included in J M Coetzee Doubling the Point Harvard University Press 1992 p 69 90 External links edit nbsp Media related to Gerrit Achterberg at Wikimedia Commons Dutch Royal Library Detailed Biography and Bibliography in Dutch File Gerrit Achterberg in the Digital Library of Dutch Literature DBNL including bibliography primary and secondary texts Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Gerrit Achterberg amp oldid 1161409208, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
