Betti Alver
Betti Alver was a prominent Estonian poet and novelist, born on November 23, 1906, in Jõgeva, Estonia. She initially studied Estonian philology at Tartu University but left to focus on her literary career after publishing her first novel, *Tuulearmuke*, in 1927, which won an award. Alver's literary journey included a shift from novel writing to poetry, influenced by her friendship with fellow poet Heiti Talvik. By the early 1930s, she had established herself as a poet, with her first collection, *Lugu valgest varesest*, published in 1931.
Her work during the tumultuous years of World War II reflected the experiences of war and displacement, particularly after the Soviet occupation of Estonia. Following the arrest and death of her husband Talvik, Alver faced challenges in publishing her writing, although she translated significant works, such as Pushkin's *Evgeny Onegin*. In the 1960s, she re-emerged as a vital voice in the Estonian literary scene, contributing to the revival of Estonian poetry. Alver continued to publish until her death on June 19, 1989, and is regarded as one of the foremost poets of 20th-century Estonia, known for her innovative language and thematic depth.
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Betti Alver
- Born: November 23, 1906
- Birthplace: Jõgeva, Estonia
- Died: June 19, 1989
- Place of death: Tartu, Estonia
Biography
Betti Alver was born on November 23, 1906, in Jõgeva, Estonia, the daughter of Mart Alver, a railway officer, and Minna Alver. Her mother gave birth to six children, only two of whom survived. Alver attended grammar and secondary school in Tartu, Estonia, and then attended Tartu University, studying Estonian philology. She published a short story in 1927, and the same year published a novel, Tuulearmuke, which was awarded a prize. As a result of this success, she left the university to pursue her literary career.
In 1930, Alver published her second novel, Invaliidid. This book was not as well received as her first, and Alver soon turned to writing poetry. Her friendship with poet Heiti Talvik influenced her in this direction, and by 1931, she was regularly publishing verse in literary journals. Her first book of poetry, Lugu valgest varesest, appeared in 1931, and critics noted the influence of poet Alexander Pushkin in her verse. Alver combined her love of the novel form with her skill in writing verse for her second collection of poems, Viletsuse komöödia.
In 1936, Alver published another poetry collection that established her as an important literary voice in Estonia. This collection, Tolm ja tuli: Luuletusi, attracted the attention of leading critics and writers of the day. As a major poetic force, Alver joined with other Estonian poets, including Talvik, to compile an anthology of their work, Arbujad (1938). She and Talvik married in 1937.
In 1940, Estonia was pulled into World War II, first by Soviet occupation and later with the arrival of German troops in 1941. The experiences of the war years affected Alver’s writing. She and Talvik lived and worked in a small village during these years. She drew on folk motifs for her poetry, using the farmland around her for her imagery. Because of the German occupation, she was unable to publish much of her verse during the 1940’s, although it is this work that eventually became her most well known. There is a brooding, foreshadowing quality to the work, suggesting that Alver sensed the impending Soviet domination of her homeland.
In 1945, Talvik was arrested and deported to Siberia, where he died in 1947. It was a bleak time for Alver. The Soviet Union’s control of Estonia prevented her from publishing her writing. She was, however, able to translate the work of other poets, and by 1954, she was deep into translating Puskin’s Evgeny Onegin (1825). By 1962, Alver was once again publishing her own work, participating in a revival of Estonian poetry. For the next two decades, she continued to write masterful poetry and publish many collections, her last appearing in 1986, just three years before her death on June 19, 1989.
Alver is considered to be one of the best Estonian poets of the twentieth century. Her early work was some of the best literature produced in an independent Estonia in the 1930’s, while her later work allowed her to experiment with language and form in the Estonian revival of the 1960’s and 1970’s.