Trije stúdzjes oer Obe Postma. Oer Dreaun fan ierde’ dream fan Philippus Breuker yn ferhâlding ta In libben dat bloeide nei syn aard fan Tineke Steenmeijer-Wielenga en Geart van der Meer

Abstract

In a short period of time two biographies of the Frisian poet Obe Postma were published. In 2017 Obe Postma. In libben dat bloeide nei syn aard appeared, a book consisting of two parts: a life story of Postma by Tineke Steenmeijer-Wielenga, entitled „Al wat ik skriuw, dat is wier bard‟, and a series of articles by Geart van der Meer, mostly about Postma‟s poetry and translations, called „Fier haw ik myn dreamen weide/ En de himmel iepen sjoen‟. One year later, in 2018, Philippus Breuker published another sizeable biography: Dreaun fan ierde‟ dream. In this article it is argued that Breuker‟s new book is in many ways very rich and instructive. His analysis of Postma‟s philosophical world view is excellent and hischapters about the poet‟s studies of Frisian history are probably unsurpassable. Still, Steenmeijer-Wielenga‟s biography also has certain unique qualities. She brings the poet to life in an empathetic way, often by means of well-chosen quotations from Postma‟s letters or articles. Besides, her book has a fine composition and is elegantly written. Van der Meer‟s articles sometimes miss subtlety, especially when he comments on Postma‟s religious outlook or on the technical aspects of his poetry. But he too adds valuable views, for instance when he notices a permanent paradox betweenPostma‟s search for an all-encompassing whole and his passionate love for sensory details. Together, these three books form an impressive enrichment of the study material about this great Frisian poet.