Elmar Pettai

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Elmar Pettai (* 23 October July / 5 November  1912 greg. In Vana-Kariste, parish Halliste ; † 24 May 2008 in Stockholm ) was an Estonian poet and publicist .

Life

Pettai went to school in Kanaküla and Saarde from 1921 to 1927 and, after several years of work, only continued to study distance learning from 1933 to 1937 at the home school of the Society of Educational Friends . He also completed courses at the fishing school in Pärnu (1936–1938). He then worked in the fishing industry in Estonia for a few years, but went into exile in Sweden in 1944 . In Stockholm he worked for Ericsson for a long time (1948–1968) and continued his education on the side. From 1978 to 1980 he studied at the University of Uppsala at the Institute for Finno-Ugric Studies .

Pettai was Secretary General of the Estonian Cultural Community in Stockholm from 1962 to 1977. Under his aegis, 154 events were held in the “Estonian House” in Stockholm.

plant

Pettai was inspired to poetry by Enn Uibo, who lived nearby, and has published poetry in weekly newspapers since 1932. However, he did not present his first volume of poetry until he was in exile, where the critics described him as a “singer of homelessness”. In fact, the keynote of most of his poems is decidedly elegiac; in the history of Estonian exile literature, Pettai is referred to as “emphatic melancholy”. In addition to poetry, the author was also active as a critic and analyzed the poems of numerous colleagues such as Bernard Kangro , Gustav Suits or Asta Willmann in an essay “ Juhan Liiv and our exile poetry” .

Elmar Pettai was involved in fishing throughout his life and from 1980 to 1987 edited the magazine Eesti Kalur ('Estonian Fisherman'). He also published a two-volume history of the Estonian fishing industry .

bibliography

  • Jaanilill ('flour primrose'). Stockholm: [E. Pettai] 1964. 79 pp.
  • Sinine unistus ('The Blue Dream'). Stockholm: [E. Pettai] 1978. 79 pp.
  • Nagu meie elu ('Like our life'). Stockholm: [E. Pettai] 1980. 69 pp.
  • Illusioonid ('Illusions'). Stockholm: Välis-Eesti & EMP 1988. 63 pp.
  • Kaks kirsipuud ('Two Cherry Trees'). Stockholm: [E. Pettai] 1995. 14 pp.

Literature on the author

  • Helmi Eller: Kodutuse laulik, in: Tulimuld 3/1964, pp. 220-221.
  • Ivar Grünthal : Kahed algused, in: Mana 4-5 / 1964, pp. 329-330.
  • Salme Raatma : Vaikimine oleks vale, in: Tulimuld 3/1989, pp. 166-167.
  • Eerik Teder: Luuletaja ja kultuuritegelase Elmar Pettai juubel, in: Keel ja Kirjandus 12/1992, p. 745.
  • [Obituary], in: Looming 6/2008, pp. 958-959.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Eesti kirjanike leksikon. Koostanud Oskar Kruus yes Heino Puhvel. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat 2000, pp. 409-410.
  2. ↑ See Looming 6/2008, p. 959.
  3. ↑ Eerik Teder: Luuletaja ja kultuuritegelase Elmar Pettai juubel, in: Keel ja Kirjandus 12/1992, p. 745.
  4. ↑ Helmi Eller: Kodutuse laulik, in: Tulimuld 3/1964, p. 220.
  5. ↑ Eesti kirjandus paguluses. XX sajandil. Toimetanud Piret Kruuspere. [Tallinn:] Eesti TA Underi ja Tuglase Kirjanduskeskus 2008, p. 377.
  6. ↑ In Tulimuld 5/1955, pp. 260-265.
  7. ↑ See Looming 6/2008, p. 959.
  8. ↑ Eesti kalanduse minevikust. I + II . Stockholm: Eesti Kalurite Koondis 1984/1985. 408 + 406 pp.
personal data
SURNAME Pettai, Elmar
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Estonian poet and publicist
DATE OF BIRTH November 5, 1912
PLACE OF BIRTH Vana-Kariste, parish Halliste
DATE OF DEATH May 24, 2008
Place of death Stockholm