BENEDIKTSSON, EINAR

born Oct. 31, 1864, Ellidhavatn, Ice. died Jan. 14, 1940, Herdsarvk poet called by some the greatest Icelandic poet of the 20th century. Son of a leader of the Icelandic independence movement, he received a law degree at Copenhagen in 1892 and briefly edited a newspaper, Dagskr (1896-98), advocating the cause of Icelandic independence. Much of his life was spent abroad raising capital to develop Icelandic industries. His five volumes of Symbolist verse-Sgur og kvaedi (1897; "Stories and Poems"), Hafblik (1906; "Smooth Seas"), Hrannir (1913; "Waves"), Vogar (1921; "Billows"), Hvammar (1930; "Grass Hollows")-showing a masterful command of the language, exemplify his patriotism, mysticism, and love of nature, and the influence of his extensive travels. He translated Ibsen's Peer Gynt into Icelandic. A selection of his poems was translated into English as Harp of the North (1955) by Frederic T. Wood.