author
Paavo Korhonen
1775–1840
Remembered as Vihta-Paavo, this Finnish folk poet gave sharp, memorable voice to ordinary rural life. His verses mix humor, satire, and a strong sense of local character.
1 Audiobook
Viisikymmentä runoa ja kuusi laulua
by Paavo Korhonen
About the author
Born in Rautalampi in 1775, Paavo Korhonen was a Finnish folk poet best known by the nickname Vihta-Paavo. He came from the Vihtajärvi farm, and that home region stayed closely tied to the way people remembered him and his work.
He became known for lively poems that drew on everyday life and for satirical verses aimed at local abuses of power. The plainspoken energy of his poetry helped make him one of the best-known names in older Finnish folk verse.
Korhonen died in Rautalampi in 1840. Even though he lived far from literary centers, his poems secured him a lasting place in Finnish literary history as a strong local voice with wide appeal.