Biography Essay

Aspazija as a woman and writer has drawn the attention of readers, literary critics, and biographers for more than one hundred years. Her poetry and dramas have survived the test of time; her essays and articles are clear, direct, and bold in specifics. Into the folk, nationalistic literature and theater of the times, Aspazija injected themes and archetypes that can stand next to such characters as Antigone, Faust, and Zarathustra, as well as legendary beings such as Zeus, Prometheus, and Persephone. She fused these with Latvian folklore types and thus elevated the provincial to the universal. Selected works have been translated into various languages. Two of her plays have been translated into English: Sidraba skidrauts (1904; translated as The Silver Veil, 1984) and Zalsa ligava (1928; translated as The Serpent's Bride, 1984). In 1929 Aspazija received the Treju zvaigzpu ordenis (Medal of Three Stars), the highest national award for cultural achievement...