Born at the end of an age of optimism, Jóhannes úr Kötlum commenced his career as a Romantic poet and became a master of traditional Icelandic poetic forms but turned progressively toward political criticism and social idealism as the world experienced the Great Depression and World War II. His transformation into a revolutionary and a literary modernist remains a feat virtually unequaled in Icelandic literature. Icelanders held Jóhannes in the highest regard for his craft as a poet and recognized the strength of his leftist, even radical political convictions. They also could not have failed to notice that Jóhannes more than occasionally drew his inspiration from religion, specifically Christianity.

Visual imagery and contrasts of light with dark and of order with chaos permeate the poetry of Jóhannes. The spirit of Iceland's nature is ubiquitous as well in...