Song of my heart
Rachel, Anastasia, Antonio, MARIANGELA, Filippo, Naheed, Sayaka, Habooba, Beatriz, Kirsti, Ana Paula, Eric, Ernesto, Waqar Ali Roghani, Pary, mercè, Silwal Kishor, Chandra, Manoj Pandey, Marianna, Jose Lourenço, James Zhih-Cheng Wu, Mikhail, Praveen, Mohammad, Majka, Nikolai, HYOAHIL, Adriana, ramin, michelle, longnguyen, Yati, Christine, Tiasha, Nattapong, Erika, Evelin, Carolina and all others who are reading this....
As my days of blogging as a student are almost at the end, I would like to say a few more words about Finnish literature; particularly I want to mention Aleksis Kivi. He was a Finnish national writer, playwright, poet and novelist, whose major work was SEITSEMÄN VELJESTÄ (1870, Seven Brothers).
Aleksis Kivi was the first professional writer publishing his works in Finnish. He died in poverty at the age of thirty-eight. According to the popular legend his last words were: "Minä elän!"- (I am alive!).
Among Aleksis Kivi's most famous poems is 'Sydämeni laulu' (Song of my Heart) - a dark and very moving work, in which a woman seems to wish her baby dead. The poem was basis for Jean Sibelius song (Op. 18 No. 6) with the same title from 1898. In the poem a mother sits alone with her child and asks:
"Tell me, my child my summerbright, tell me: wouldst thou not sail away from here to a haven of everlasting peace while the white pennant of childhood still flies clean? On the shore of a misty, tideless lake stands the dark manor of Tuoni; there in the heart of a shadowy grove, in the bosom of a dewy thicket a cradle is prepared for thee with snowy linen and wrappings. Hear therefore my song; it wafts thee to the land of the Prince of Tuoni."
('Grove of Tuoni' can be translated as 'Grove of Death').
The winter has arrived to Finland, here in Oulu the temperature is –10 degrees, the forecast for tomorrow in Lapland is –25. I think it was Anastasia who asked me some time ago if I had written everything I had wanted to. Perhaps I have covered most of the things I wanted, but there is a subject matter I did not get change to talk about. It is global warming. But it is so difficult issue for everyday person to try to put right, that perhaps even if we had discussed the issue, we would have not been able to save the world.
Ramin we are just entering the real “Kaamos time”, it will be rather dark here in Oulu until mid of January, in Lapland the darkness lasts longer. Marianna I am glad to hear of your love towards animals and also that you are artistic. Antonio hopefully the pictures tonight please you. Kirsti: Hyvää Joulua! Mariangela I am hard pushed to think of a very typical Finnish cake, I myself like cakes to be rather spicy, maybe I like date cake very much. Lincoln I was happy to hear you are a porridge eater as well.
The pictures are by two very highly respected Finnish artists Akseli Gallen-Kallela and Hugo Simberg. The titles of the paintings are Mother of Lemminkäinen (Kalevala) and a wounded angel by Simberg.
Comments
Dear Friends, viz. Liela, Rachel, Anastasia, Antonio, MARIANGELA, Filippo, Naheed, Sayaka, Habooba, Beatriz, Kirsti, Ana Paula, Eric, Ernesto, Waqar Ali Roghani, Pary, mercè, Silwal Kishor, Chandra, Manoj Pandey, Marianna, Jose Lourenço, James Zhih-Cheng Wu, Mikhail, Praveen, Mohammad, Majka, Nikolai, HYOAHIL, Adriana, ramin, michelle, longnguyen, Yati, Christine, Tiasha, Nattapong, Erika, Evelin, Carolina and you who is reading this comment and not in the list. I am new to this Learning English and receiving comments from readers. Mrs Leila,you shared a lot about your long journey of bbc Learning English. Good to hear that you you are continuously posting learning stuff for students containing good amount of knowledge. Thanks again from my side
" CIAO " Leila, Thank you so much for such lovely words! Thank you about your precious blog! All the best wishes to you and your family. With Love Mariangela
Well Leila This time I'm a bit disappointed. I really wanted to know something about the effects of global warming in Finland. Countries located close to the north pole are supposed to be among the first to suffer the consequences of this environmental problem. I agree that discussing the topic won't take us to save the world from the greenhouse effect, but it's a beginning. The Aleksis Kivi's poem and the paintings are beautiful, but quite sad too. Greetings for you and your family.
Dear Leila, It is very difficult to say good bye to you. I have written comment to your Tuesday 27th day blog. If you have time please read that. Appear in the student or teacher comment blog.The finns literature sounds very interesting. Whenever I get time I would like read more about that.As your links ,we may earn ourself acquaint with facts of finland. My best wishes for you.
Hello Leila, nice to meet you! This is my first comment to you,really sorry for that:( As I told to Rachel rarely I have the time to post comments,but don´t think that I never read your last blogs(that´s the only thing I can do in past days)but before you finish your blog I really want to tell you that the pictures you posted in past blogs are wonderfull, I really like it,so much! they're amazing; and of course the variety of information you gave us from Finland, I never imagine how is life there. My best whishes to you and your family, see you in your last blog! Until then ... ;)
Hi Leila! Wow! What a poem! It´s a dark and strong poem indeed. Moreover, the paintings are beautiful. The second one makes me remember one of Potinari´s paintings called 'Criança Morta'( Dead Child), which is heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time. Good bye Leila, see you tomorrow, Ana Paula.
Hello Leila, I must say you have provided us with meaty posts for the whole month, Thank you for that! I liked reading 'Grove of Tuoni', and the pictures are great. They seem to be speaking with the viewer. As for date cake, Leila, I also like date cake very much specially the sweetness of dates. Date biscuits also taste great, in my home we make many kinds of desserts from dates. I would like to mention in particular the date kheer. It's a dessert made with dates, milk and condensed milk, and it's delicious. All the best wishes to you and everyone. Naheed
Hello, Leila. I wish you, and of course all the other readers, a Merry X-mas as well. Nowadays shop windows are decorated for X-mas from November but when X-mas was less commercial celebrations nevertheless in Finland used to start with 'little Christmas', the eve before the first of four Sundays preceding Christmas. So if I wish you merry 'Little Christmas' I am only a few days in advance with my wishes. Do people in other countries celebrate Avent?
Hi Leila I read you block for whole month. You are a very good writer -:) Thank you very much for nice time which I spent with you. Stef
good literature and good blogger
Hi Laila, I have enjoyed very much your blog. It is very interesting. I am able to know so many information about Finland. chandra
Hello Leila! It's very sad to realize that there will be no more your living, educational and full of wisdom letters. Thank you very much for such a tremendous and astonishing reports and detailed feedbacks! Hope we will have a chance to exchange thoughts in future student blogs.
Dear Leila ,you have given a very good account of your country.Though i'm joining this fascinating world of blogs for the first time but i'have read all the blogs that you have sent.I hope that we'll be good e-friends in future.
Hi Leila! We eat a lot of dried fruits on Christmas. Yes, the environment issue is demanding. Thanks for quoting me!! It has been great to read your blog. I was very interested in getting to know your country. Cheers from Italy!!!
Dear Leila First of all I wish you a very healthy and active life and I’m sure that we see your nice comments like your kind blogs and thus will share ideas and information in future. I was too much inspired by your personality and writing and as a result I joined this section formally and become a regular visitor. The thing which inspired me more is your passion for knowledge and hard work, side by side with your busy life and especially in such an age. I respect your passion and hard work from all of my heart. Beside I learn much from your blogs, from my own ‘wrong’ comments and mistakes and of course from Rachel blogs and guidance. I feel your ‘song of heart’ despite of the fact that there is problem for me in understanding the language but I feel and understand the message. With such a touchy and everlasting work of course Aleksis Kivi is ‘Mina elan!’
Hi, I'm really grateful that I was able to know a little bit more about your country. I've never thought that Finland can be such interesting place, but I was wrong. I hope you stay with us as a blogger... I'd like to wish you and all family Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2008! Best regards Majka
Yeah Leila, it is all very relevant. I mean that heart-breaking extract from The Song of My Heart and those two very sad pictures. You did that either deliberately or subconsciously. Don't take me seriously, I appreciate the pictures and the extract and their authors as well, but I can't help feeling slightly down in the mouth after seeing them. Anyway, one should look on the bright side of things too. And I do see it – the Angel is being carried to actually be CURED, so there will definitely be a happy ending and if there were to be a series of pictures with the Angel, the next one would be the Angel all cured and smiling happily. Right? Right. As far as global warming is concerned... maybe we shouldn't talk about it. There are many people dedicated to resolving the issue and who made it their job to promote and develop action from governments and their people. What we can do, however, is contribute our share of responsibility to Nature and try and make the place we live in cleaner by (at least!) not throwing our fag ends down on the ground. One day to go. Please write about something amusing, maybe about a curious mishap that cropped up a couple of days ago? Sincerely, Ana
Thank you, Leila for the poem and the pictures. It's the first time I join the blog and the first one I have read. Best regards.
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