ORJASAETER, TORE

born March 3, 1886, Skjk, Nor. died Feb. 29, 1968, Skjk Norwegian regional poet who worked in the tradition of the ballad and of folk and nature lyrics. rjasaeter's concern with the conflict between the individual and his heritage is the underlying theme of his main works, Gudbrand Langleite (1913), Brumillom (1920), and Skuggen (1927; The Shadow), published as an epic trilogy in a revised edition of his collected works in 1941. rjasaeter's finest poetry is found in his collection Elvesong (1932; Song of the River), a cycle of poems about a drop of water on its way to the sea as a symbol for the individual longing for freedom and human solidarity. Modernist trends that were evident in much European poetry of the 1930s are reflected in his work. rjasaeter also wrote several dramas, including Christophoros (1948) and Den lange bryllaupsreisa (1949; The Long Honeymoon).