If i were god
If I were God (Swedish: Vore jag Gud or Om jag vore gud ) is one of the most famous poems by Astrid Lindgren from 1975. It has been translated from Swedish into German, English and Russian.
content
In the poem Astrid Lindgren writes that if she were God, she would cry over people, over their malice, meanness, despair, fear, need, torment, etc. She would especially cry over children because she never expected them they feel like they do now. She would weep floods of tears in which people could drown, because then there would finally be peace for all of her poor people.
background
Years after the poem was published, Astrid Lindgren wrote down her thoughts and feelings about the poem. She explained that she often feels helpless when thinking about the fate of people, especially children. The injustices, the pollution, the destruction etc. would make them sad. When she hears so much bad from people, it is difficult for her to believe in the good in them. It scares her when she thinks about what the children of the world have to endure today. The people who inflict such suffering on children are certainly not “in the image of God”. She also describes the tragic fate of the refugee children in Sweden, who are exposed to the hatred of the population, who are not wanted in Sweden and who are deported with their families, even though they are actually only looking for a safe home. Astrid Lindgren would like to help all unhappy children, she explains. She often dreams of taking in such a child and being able to offer him a home. Lindgren repeatedly campaigned for refugee children, often from former Yugoslavia at the time. She wrote to politicians such as Mikhail Sergejewitsch Gorbachev and campaigned for peace in war countries or contributed the foreword to the book Jag drömmer om Fred (1994) published by UNICEF , in which there were painted pictures of refugee children.
Astrid Lindgren wrote other poems as well as if I were God . Among other things, goodbye, you old gall! ( Farväl du satans galla! ). Other works originally written as poetry have been rewritten and used as songs in Astrid Lindgren's films. Others are part of their stories and narratives.
publication
In 1975 the poem was first published in Sweden. It was published in German in 1995 in Felizitas von Schönborn's book Astrid Lindgren - The Children's Paradise . The German translation is by Anna-Liese Kornitzky . Many other publications followed, including the poem in the Oetinger Reader. Almanac 1997/1998 to be found. In 2017 the poem was also translated into English and it appeared in the English edition of Astrid Lindgren's book Never Violence . In the Russian-language edition, the poem can be read in Russian.
Most of the time the poem was published without any illustrations. In the Oetinger Reader. Almanac 1997/1998 , however, it appeared with illustrations by Ilon Wikland and in the book Astrid Lindgren for the Whole World there is a dark photo next to the poem on which only one type of eye can be seen on a black background.
reception
Margareta Strömstedt believes that “desperation about the state of the world” would have robbed Astrid Lindgren of hope and sleep. It then seems to want to erase everything “imperfect and failures” and “start over”. These types of thoughts would be expressed in the poem.
In the poem Katarina Alexandersson particularly perceives the author's feelings of helplessness and powerlessness in the face of grief, pain or evil in the world.
Sybil Countess Schönfeldt added that the poem reflected the melancholy of Astrid Lindgren in the later years of her life. The poem is "like a beacon for the coming century" (21st century).
Birgit Dankert writes that the poem proves that Astrid Lindgren's childhood as well as her “melancholy and gloom can be seen as the engine of her creativity”. The poem shows that "God's creation" in Lindgren's eyes "developed into the negative" or even "failed". Therefore the “sea of tears” would act like an “apocalyptic deluge”. In addition, show Astrid Lindgren's poem "Doubt and Search for God". In addition to doubting God, Astrid Lindgren would also be desperately looking for him. Lindgren explained that the adult in her knew that God or Paradise did not exist, at the same time the child in her would not accept this knowledge. Besides, she would keep thanking God or praying to God when she was desperate while denying him at the same time.
expenditure
Appeared in
German-language editions
- Astrid Lindgren: If I were God . In: Felizitas von Schönborn (1995): Astrid Lindgren - The children's paradise. Freiburg: Herder. P. 51
- Astrid Lindgren: If I were God . In: Astrid Lindgren (2000): Stones on the kitchen shelf: thoughts, memories, ideas . Hamburg: Oetinger. Pp. 87-88
- Astrid Lindgren: If I were God . In: Anke Lüdtke (1997): Oetinger Reading Book. Almanac 1997/1998. Hamburg: Oetinger. Pp. 42–43, illustrated by Ilon Wikland
- Astrid Lindgren: If I were God (excerpts). In: Maren Gottschalk (2006): Jenseits von Bullerbü. Astrid Lindgren's life story. Weinheim Basel: Beltz & Gelberg. P. 192
- Astrid Lindgren: If I were God . In: Birgit Dankert (2013): Astrid Lindgren. A lifelong childhood Darmstadt: Scientific Book Society. Pp. 261-265
- Astrid Lindgren: If I were God . In: Margareta Strömstedt (2007): Astrid Lindgren for the whole world. Värnamo: Saltkrakan AB.
- Astrid Lindgren: If I were God . In: Margareta Strömstedt (2011): Astrid Lindgren. A picture of life. Hamburg: Oetinger. 1st ed. P. 337
- Astrid Lindgren: If I were God . In: Sybil Countess Schönfeldt (2017): Astrid Lindgren. Memories of a woman of the century. Berlin: Ebersbach & Simon. 1st ed. P. 152
English language edition
- Astrid Lindgren: If I were god . In: Astrid Lindgren (2018): Never violence! (English). Astrid Lindgren text. Pp. 42-45
Russian-language edition
- Astrid Lindgren: Если бы я была Богом . (Yesli by ya byla Bogom) In: Astrid Lindgren (2019): Net nasiliju! (Russian). Belaja vorona.
Swedish language edition
- Astrid Lindgren: Vore jag Gud . In: Astrid Lindgren (1996): Astrids klokbok . Stockholm: Rabén & Sjogren
- Astrid Lindgren: Vore jag Gud . In: Astrid Lindgren (2018): Aldrig våld! (Swedish). Astrid Lindgren text.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Felizitas von Schönborn (1995): Astrid Lindgren - The children's paradise. Freiburg: Herder. Pp. 50-53
- ^ Maren Gottschalk (2006): Jenseits von Bullerbü. Astrid Lindgren's life story. Weinheim Basel: Beltz & Gelberg. P. 193
- ^ Margareta Strömstedt (2011): Astrid Lindgren. A picture of life. Hamburg: Oetinger. 1st ed. P. 337
- ↑ Gudstjänst 2008-12-28 .
- ^ Sybil Countess Schönfeldt (2017): Astrid Lindgren. Memories of a woman of the century. Berlin: Ebersbach & Simon. 1st ed. P. 152
- ↑ Birgit Dankert (2013): Astrid Lindgren. A lifelong childhood Darmstadt: Scientific Book Society. Pp. 261-265