Hjemfalden

by Søren Ulrik Thomsen

Danish

Genres: Poetry, Danish

56 pages, Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Søren Ulrik Thomsen was born in 1956 in Kalundborg. He grew up in Store Heddinge, Stevns, south of Copenhagen, where he went to school together with another Danish poet, Jens Fink-Jensen from 1968 to 1972. During his childhood he often heard readings of literature and sang evening songs. This early exposure to the rhythm and poetry of language influenced his later writing. In school he became familiar with the songs of B.S.Ingemann, a poet who has had significant influence on Thomsen's poetry.

He moved with his family to Copenhagen at sixteen and enrolled in secondary school at Rysensteen and, after being expelled, at Det Frie Gymnasium, where he completed his upper secondary education, making him eligible for university studies. His encounter with Copenhagen had an impact on his early poetry, and was reflected in themes such as the strangeness and loneliness of the big city.

Søren Ulrik Thomsen studied comparative literature at the University of Copenhagen, but prioritized writing poetry rather than completing his degree. His debut was in the review Hvedekorn (Wheatgrain) in 1977.

His first collection of poetry was City Slang (1981). It is poetry about human alienation in a city. In 1984, the Danish singer Lars H.U.G. scored these poems on an album of the same title, expanding Thomsen's audience.

Thomsen's collections of poetry City Slang, Ukendt under den samme måne ("Unknown Under the Same Moon"; 1982) and New poems (1987) belonged to the group of 80s poets who were reacting against the political poets of the seventies. The 80s poets, which included Michael Strunge, was focused on the body, sensations, and existential subjects in a tight, minimalistic language.

Later Thomsen published Hjemfalden (1991), Det skabtes vaklen ("The Shaking of Creation", 1996) and Det værste og det bedste, illustrated by Ib Spang Olsen, (2002). With these collections he moved away from the school 80s poets and establishes himself as a poet with a truly individual expression.

Søren Ulrik Thomsen is interested in great existential human conditions such as death and loneliness, creation and destruction. His poems in Hjemfalden are rhythmic arabesques, which comes through strongly in his public readings.

He has also published two poetics, where he tries to define the essence of poetry and what happens in the process of creating a poem, Mit lys brænder. Omrids af en ny poetik ("In My Candle Burns: Outline of a New Poetics", (1985) and En dans på gloser, essays ("Dancing Attendance on the Word,"(1996).

As a writer Søren Ulrik Thomsen also participates in public debate and has published a book of essays with Frederik Stjernfeldt, Kritik af den negative opbyggelighed. His books have always enjoyed a great deal of attention as the subject of numerous books and essays, and he is seen as one of the more significant Danish contemporary poets. He was the focus of the only conference (as of 2009) ever devoted to a living Danish writer.

Søren Ulrik Thomsen's poetry has been translated in the book Selected Poetry, based on poems from Hjemfalden and Det skabtes vaklen.

Reviews

[Mads Steiner Nielsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thomsens digte bliver ved med at ændre karakter og natur som hans forfatterskab skrider frem. Denne samling var for mig bedre end de to forrige men City Slang har stadig en helt særlig plads for mig. Der er stadig temaer der går igen: Skrive om at skrive, døden, søvnløshed, natten osv.

Der er i denne samling konsekvent ingen titler på nogle af digtene og de hænger ofte sammen tematiske når de står overfor hinanden. Digtene er længere, nogle rimer endda og der er masser af utroligt smukke sproglige billeder. Der er også en leg med sproget, der spilles på floskler og vi bliver som læsere flere gange "snydt" af ord med dobbelt betydning.

Det er en meget smuk digtsamling og det bliver uden tvivl en jeg skal vende tilbage til.

[Pelle "sometimes here" Parrafin]

At tabe det hele og bære det med sig
som en usynlig skønhed
lagt til ens eneste ansigt.
Indfatte grusomheden i en grøn arabesk og være den verdig.
At sta som et drivhus i Islands nat;
et lysende, knagende telt af glas
fuldt af bristende frugter.
[...]
At lade et andet menneskes smerte
gå lukt igennem sit legemes sluse
og se at få lidt søvn.
[...]
At hægte de mulige sammen i tidsrum af krybdyr og tal.
Lade en handbevægelse gøre det ud for
et helt livs kærlighed,
og at elske et helt langt liv som om man bare slog ud med hånden.
At tale sig frem til sin stemme og glemme
sig selv [...]

[Marcus Uhre · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Og det er som alle livets lykkeligste sekunder
ætser sig vej gennem døren.
Hvad andet kan jeg gøre
end at vælte legemets kridhvide tårn?
Hvis jeg vågner tidligt nok,
vil selv du være her igen."

[Cecilie Nyman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Det smukkeste jeg længe har læst.

[Monica Selassie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written.