author
Onni E. (Onni Elias) Helkiö
1874–1961
A Finnish poet, teacher, and composer, he spent much of his life thinking about how Finnish verse could sound and move. His work ranges from literary theory to poetry and memoir, with a curious, experimental streak that still feels distinctive.
2 Audiobooks
Uuden runomittaopin alkeita
by Onni E. (Onni Elias) Helkiö
Runojalkoja
by Onni E. (Onni Elias) Helkiö
About the author
Born in the rural district of Rauma in 1874, he was a Finnish lecturer, composer, and poet. He studied at the University of Helsinki, worked as a journalist for Uusimaa in Porvoo, and later taught Finnish and Swedish in several schools before becoming a senior lecturer in Finnish at the Jyväskylä co-educational lycée.
He is especially remembered for trying to shape a distinctly Finnish theory of poetry. That interest appears in Uuden runomittaopin alkeita (1909), while his own collection Runojalkoja (1919) has been noted for touches that point toward futurism.
Later in life, he also wrote memoir-like works connected to the Rauma dialect and local culture, including the Raumlaist Knekku, tott ja jekku books. He died in Helsinki in 1961.