Modernist & 20Th Century Poets Codexery

Tomas Tranströmer

Swedish poet and psychologist, Nobel laureate in literature.

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Tomas Tranströmer

via Wikipedia: Tomas Tranströmer · see source

Tomas Tranströmer was a Swedish poet, psychologist, and translator born on 15 April 1931 and died on 26 March 2015.[1][2] He won the 2011 Nobel Prize in Literature for his "condensed, translucent images" that give "fresh access to reality"[3] His poems are known for capturing Swedish nature and a sense of mystery in everyday life.[1]

Tomas Tranströmer 2012-05-04 001 (cropped2)
Tomas Tranströmer 2012-05-04 001 (cropped2). Image: Pia Nordlander / bildN · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Life and work

In 1990, Tranströmer suffered a stroke that paralyzed his right side and left him unable to speak.[4][5] After the stroke, he taught himself to play the piano with his left hand and continued writing poetry.[6][7] The Nobel Prize press release stated he was awarded the prize for giving "fresh access to reality" through his "condensed, translucent images".[3] Following his parents' divorce, the poet was brought up in Stockholm by his mother Helmy, who worked as a teacher.[8]

Barbro Lindgren & Tomas Tranströmer ALMA 2014
Barbro Lindgren & Tomas Tranströmer ALMA 2014. Image: Stefan Tell · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

His debut collection, 17 Poems, came out in 1954.[9]

Dikt Tomas Tranströmer Bibl Västerås
Dikt Tomas Tranströmer Bibl Västerås. Image: Dependability · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

What the cited sources add

The Nobel Prize press release specifies the exact wording of the prize motivation: "because, through his condensed, translucent images, he gives us fresh access to reality"[3] A Guardian article from 2011 notes that Tranströmer's work has been translated into more than 50 languages.[10] The same article reports that Tranströmer described his poems as "meeting places" where dark and light collide.[10] The biographical note from Nobelprize.org states that a newly discovered beetle, Mordellistena transtroemeriana, was named after him due to his insect collecting.[4]

Tomas Transtromer and Modhir Ahmed
Tomas Transtromer and Modhir Ahmed. Image: Tokistar · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

That source also notes he married Monica in 1958.[4] The SVT Nyheter report lists his awards including the Bellmanspriset in 1966 and the Augustpriset in 1996.[11]

Tomas Tranströmer 2012-05-04 001 (cropped)
Tomas Tranströmer 2012-05-04 001 (cropped). Image: Pia Nordlander / bildN · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Tomas Tranströmer 2012-05-04
Tomas Tranströmer 2012-05-04. Image: Pia Nordlander / bildN · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Tomas Tranströmer" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Tomas Tranströmer är död. SVT Nyheter, 27 March 2015.; Bosman, "Swedish Poet Wins Nobel Prize for Literature", The New York Times, 6 October 2011; Salisbury, "Straight into the Invisible: A Swedish Poet's Explorations", The Philadelphia Inquirer, 1987; Coyle, "Anchor in the Shadows: Review of The Great Enigma: New Collected Poems", Contemporary Poetry Review, 2009 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Tomas Tranströmer" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Brown, "Swedish Nobel laureate Tomas Tranströmer dies aged 83", The Guardian, 26 March 2015 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  3. "The Nobel Prize in Literature 2011 – Press Release", Nobelprize.org. facts only, no text reused. nobelprize.org
  4. "Tomas Tranströmer Biographical", nobelprize.org. facts only, no text reused. nobelprize.org
  5. Wikipedia, "Tomas Tranströmer" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Sverige och världen i chock - reaktioner på Lindhs död", Sydsvenskan, 11 September 2003; "Swedish poet Transtroemer wins Nobel Literature Prize", BBC News, 6 October 2011; Brown, "Swedish Nobel laureate Tomas Tranströmer dies aged 83", The Guardian, 26 March 2015 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  6. Wikipedia, "Tomas Tranströmer" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Lea, "Nobel prize for literature goes to Tomas Tranströmer", The Guardian, 6 October 2011; Poetry Foundation "Tomas Tranströmer Plays Piano in New Short Doc on New Official Website" 1 November 2011; "Tomas Tranströmer « Tomas Tranströmer"; Jean-Pierre Thiollet, 88 notes pour piano solo, Neva Editions, 2015, p.154-155. (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  7. Brown, "Swedish Nobel laureate Tomas Tranströmer dies aged 83", The Guardian, 26 March 2015. facts only, no text reused. theguardian.com
  8. Wikipedia, "Tomas Tranströmer" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "The Nobel Prize in Literature 2011 – Press Release", Nobelprize.org; Lea, "Nobel prize for literature goes to Tomas Tranströmer", The Guardian, 6 October 2011 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  9. Wikipedia, "Tomas Tranströmer" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Swedish poet Tomas Transtromer wins Nobel literature prize for 'condensed, translucent' works", 6 October 2011; "The Nobel Prize in Literature 2011 – Press Release", Nobelprize.org; "Tomas Tranströmer Biographical", nobelprize.org (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  10. Lea, "Nobel prize for literature goes to Tomas Tranströmer", The Guardian, 6 October 2011. facts only, no text reused. theguardian.com
  11. Tomas Tranströmer är död. SVT Nyheter, 27 March 2015.. facts only, no text reused. svt.se

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Tomas Tranströmer (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

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Test yourself

Three questions drawn from this entry’s sources. Pick an answer to check it.

1. In what year was Tomas Tranströmer born?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is 1931.

From the source: “Tranströmer was born in Stockholm in 1931 and raised by his mother Helmy, a schoolteacher, following her divorce from his father, Gösta Tranströmer, an editor.”

2. In what year did Tomas Tranströmer die?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is 2015.

From the source: “Tranströmer died in Stockholm on 26 March 2015 aged 83.”

3. In which place was Tomas Tranströmer born?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is Stockholm, Sweden.

Answers checked against the source article

Sources

Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

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