Elmer Diktonius is one of the groundbreaking figures of modernism in Scandinavia. Literary modernism came to Finland earlier than to its Nordic neighbors, and Diktonius, along with the poet Edith Södergran, whose work he promoted, was one of the prime instigators of the new movement. His original ambition was to become a composer, and his musical sensibilities are often evident in his unmistakable poetic voice. Early on the poet adopted a "revolutionary" attitude, and his reputation as a poet of the Left continues, despite his often ambivalent relationship to politics in actual practice. His poetry celebrates movement and often takes violent and explosive forms, but from the beginning there is a gentle, even vegetative aspect to Diktonius that became more pronounced with the years. He lived and wrote intensely as a young man but aged prematurely. While his work has never become well known outside of...