Juhan Liiv is one of Estonia's most famous poets and prose writers.
Childhood
Juhan Liiv the son of Benjamin and Marianna Liiv was born on April 30, 1864, in Alatskivi Parish, Tartu County, and grew up in Rupsi village, in Oja farm owned by his family. Although at the time it was called the village of Allatzkiwwi, Governorate of Livonia, Russian Empire. Liiv grew up in a poor and religious family and was the youngest amongst five children. Liiv’s parents were heavily religious. At home, he and his siblings lived a rough Christian life, his parents tried to raise their children in the same Christian spirit. Despite their poverty and religion, Liiv's parents understood the importance of education and invested a lot of money in his education. He first studied at Naelavere Village School, then at Kodavere Parish School. After going through both schools his parents then sent him to Dorpat to study at the Hugo Treffner Gymnasium, in 1886. Juhan spent most of his childhood alone, isolated from other children his age. His older brother Jakob Liiv also became a poet. Illness forced Liiv to leave school and return home, where he wrote poetry and occasional columns for the Olevik newspaper. His poetry starkly contrasted that of his contemporaries, and was therefore largely ignored.
Short stories
Liiv finally achieved success in 1894 when his first short story, Vari, was published. It was dark and gloomy, foreshadowing his future works of both prose and poetry. Many readers draw a comparison between Liiv and the main character of the story, Villu, who is physically weak but strong in mind. Liiv continued to write several more short stories, but none are as famous as Vari.
In 1909, Friedebert Tuglas met with Liiv. A book containing 495 poems by Liiv was published late that year. Many of Liiv's poems are dominated by a sense of gloom, probably brought on by his mental illnesses, poverty and lack of human friendships. The few poems with a less ominous tone describe nature and Liiv's adoration for his country. His poems include:
On 1 December 1913, Liiv was found aboard a train without a ticket because he could not afford one. He was thrown off into a deserted area and walked home. By the time he arrived, however, he had been in freezing temperatures for two weeks and had contracted a fatal case of pneumonia. Which in turn led to the death of Liiv.
The Juhan Liiv Prize for Poetry
The Juhan Liiv Prize for Poetry was founded in 1965. It is awarded by the parish of Alatskivi on 30 April every year. The prize is a leather shepherd's bag hand-made by a local artist.
