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THE AMERICAN-SC AN DIN A VI AN REVIEW 
few days, she sinks into a stupor of despair. Work does not satisfy 
her. She is weary of existence and longs for death. But she realizes 
intuitively that a child is her only salvation; that alone will make her 
want to live. She marries a man whom she does not love, but with 
whom she has much in common, and with the coming of the child she 
wins back serenity and happiness. 
It is quite characteristic that the erotic element plays so minor a 
role in the book. Both the men who enter into Anna Holberg’s life 
are sketched very lightly. Her own development, on the other hand, 
is drawn with a sure touch. 
It is rather difficult to judge Maj Hirdman’s ability in character 
portrayal on the basis of this novel. It almost gives the impression 
of being a faithful reproduction of something the author has ex¬ 
perienced. But even this is a promising beginning. 
In conclusion I want to call attention to a new Swedish anthology 
compiled by Karin Ek, Swedish Poems, I-III (Ur svenska dikten, 
I-III, Albert Bonnier, 1921). The compiler has followed a new sys¬ 
tem; the poems are not arranged chronologically, but according to 
content. They have been grouped under various headings, such as 
nature, love, solitude, death, home, etc. There may be a variance of 
opinion as to the advantages of such anthologies, but the selection 
shows excellent judgment and appreciation of poetry. By means of 
these cross-sections we may get a clear conception of the development 
of literary taste and style throughout the centuries, and we are able to 
see what the compiler calls “the undulating wave-like movement that 
links one poem to another.” 
We do not hesitate to recommend this new anthology to all lovers 
of Swedish lyrics—and let us hope that they are not too few in number. 
Via Media 
By Karin Boye 
Translated from the Swedish hy Charles Wharton Stork 
I used to pray for joy that should he boundless, 
I used to pray for grief horizon-spreading . 
Have I with years grown humbler in my wishes? 
Fair, fair is joy, and lovely, too, is sorrow; 
But best to stand on griefs dark battle-ground 
And calmly to behold the sun still sinning. 
