Hello Gentle Reader,
The
Estonian poet, philosopher, cultural critic, and one time politician, Jaan
Kaplinski died on August 8th, 2021, after a long illness. The poet's career
spanned decades through Soviet occupation and Post-Soviet Occupation. As a
poet, Jaan Kaplinski never concerned himself explicitly with the being
preoccupied with or bound by the nationalistic identity or concept of being
Estonian. His poetic verse was defiant, mercurial, and chameleonic in form, a
continued and sustained shimmer of fluttering colours, light, shadow, and
multifaceted perspectives. His poetry, prose, essays, plays, and children's
literature all explore his vast and diverse palate of interest. His poetic
work, though, rarely structured itself to some explicit formal style or school.
It was infantile in state, ever changing, growing, becoming, and evolving;
though at their core they remained committed to philosophical pondering,
metaphysical contemplation, and poetic observation in order to get further at
the heart of the matter, to achieve some transcending state away from the
mortal bondage, boundaries, and confining limitations that are, and achieve
universal harmony. At his death, Jaan Kaplinski has proven to be one of the
most important poets of contemporary Estonian literature. Heralding from the
Golden Sixties of Estonian literature, Kaaplinksi maintained a strong
humanistic perspective that was developed early on and was
routinely curated throughout his literary works. His poetic rebellion was
often crafted from the singular kernel of being pulled from the
well-spring of love for the word, which again harks back to his humanistic
views. As a prose writer, Kaplinski debuted later on in his career, in the
1980's, first with a prose poem and then a collection of autobiographical
sketches and fragments called: "Where the Night came From," (Kust tuli ΓΆΓΆ)
Following suit came many words regarding philosophical treatises. If Kaaplinski
were to have a philosophical compatriot or soulmate it would have been Ludwig
Wittgenstein who once expressed that philosophy is an expression of an itch,
and Jaan Kaaplinski often scratched at the sores of what it means to be human,
with his character wit and erudition, which was admired and respected for his
sincerity and genuine held beliefs, avoiding the pitfalls of bloated pomp and
blowhard sentiment so common with others. Often touted as a potential Nobel
Laureate in Literature, it is clear that Jaan Kaplinski will not
receive that accolade. Though his work will be read, reviewed, and appreciated
long after his death.
Rest
in Peace Jaan Kaplinksi.
Thank-you For Reading Gentle Reader
Take Care
And As Always
Stay Well Read
M. Mary
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