Tomas Tranströmer
1931 – 2015
About Tomas Tranströmer
Tomas Tranströmer (1931–2015) was a Swedish poet and psychologist widely regarded as the most significant Scandinavian poet of the 20th century, awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2011. Born in Stockholm, he trained as a psychologist at Stockholm University and worked for decades with juvenile offenders and prisoners while writing poetry. His collections — including *17 Poems* (1954), *The Truth Barrier* (1978), and *For the Living and the Dead* (1989) — are notable for their sudden leaps between the material and metaphysical, their compressed imagery, and their use of silence as structural element.
In 1990 a stroke left him largely aphasic; he continued playing piano with his left hand until near his death. His complete poems fit in a single slim volume, yet their influence extends across world poetry.
“He who has never learned to be silent cannot speak.”
Quick Facts
- Born
- 1931
- Died
- 2015
- Lifespan
- 84 years
- Domain
- inspiration
- Quotes
- 5 collected
- Key Themes
- SilenceSelfDualityConnectionLanguage
Learn More
Wikipedia — Tomas TranströmerTomas Tranströmer's Famous Quotes
5 quotes
“He who has never learned to be silent cannot speak.”
— "From March 1979" from The Truth Barrier (1978)
“I am carried in my shadow like a violin in its black case.”
— "Schubertiana" from The Truth Barrier (1978)
“We walk in the sun, but our shadow belongs to another world.”
— "Tracks" from Paths (1973)
“Every person is a half-open door leading to a room for everyone.”
— "Vermeer" poem from For the Living and the Dead (1989)
“The language marches in step with the executioners.”
— "Elegy" poem from The Sad Gondola (1996)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Tomas Tranströmer (1931–2015) was a Swedish poet and psychologist widely regarded as the most significant Scandinavian poet of the 20th century, awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2011. Born in Stockholm, he trained as a psychologist at Stockholm University and worked for decades with juvenile offenders and prisoners while writing poetry. His collections — including *17 Poems* (1954), *The Truth Barrier* (1978), and *For the Living and the Dead* (1989) — are notable for their sudden leaps between the material and metaphysical, their compressed imagery, and their use of silence as structural element. In 1990 a stroke left him largely aphasic; he continued playing piano with his left hand until near his death. His complete poems fit in a single slim volume, yet their influence extends across world poetry. Tomas Tranströmer lived 1931 – 2015.