Kittelsen, Erling

is not

Sun is not sun, death is not death
my body is not my body
my psyche is not my psyche
I am saying it like a melody
without drama, agitation, irritation
God is not God: His name is somewhere else
ship is no ship, seminar is not seminar
Why are you hiding in the known
OK to a degree, I can see you are low
Main street is not main street
Shall I make it a statement
and make demands on your answer
A spade is once in a while a spade
and umbrella is anything but an umbrella
Agreements will be honoured, not the words
if you understand that better than all else
then think ship, sun God, body, poem

(from i (1995), translated by Annabelle Despard)

Erling Kittelsen (b 1946) made his literary debut with the collection of poetry WILD BIRDS in 1970. Since then he has published 25 books within different genres - but he is best known as a poet. Kittelsen recieved the Doubloug Prize in 2002. Erling Kittelsen is also a dramatist, his plays have been performed in many countries outside Norway, ABIRIELS LØVE (1988) was staged at The National Theatre in Oslo.

In his three books HUN (1989), VINDKALD (2001) and BRAGESEILET (2003), Kittelsen writes in dialogue with Old norse prose and poetry. He both interprets the old texts and answers with his own poems and prose.