Virve Osila

Poems

Virve Osila (until 1967 Virve Reest, born 10 November 1946) is a poet and playwright.

Osila was born in Kohtla-Järve in Ida-Virumaa County as the daughter of a miner. Until 1961, she attended Mäetaguse 7-year School, from 1961–1962, Tapa Secondary School No. 1, and from 1963–1967 studied nursing by distance learning at Tartu Medical School. In the 1960s–1970s, Osila worked as a nurse and kindergarten teacher at several places in Ida-Virumaa County and in the surroundings of Haapsalu. In 1981, she was hit by a heart attack and lost the ability to work. Later, she has lived at Mäetaguse village in Ida-Virumaa County and contributed to the local press.

Osila made her debut with the poem Valge toomingas (‘White Bird Cherry Tree’) in the children’s newspaper Säde in 1957. Throughout decades, her poetry has been published in several Estonian local newspapers. From 1990 to the end of its publication in 1995, Osila’s poems appeared in the exile Estonian magazine Triinu.

Virve Osila has published more than 20 poetry collections, a collection of plays and a collection of articles, Teretused (‘Salutations’, 1998). She has written 16 plays for grown-ups, also some plays for children. The book Elu on teater (‘Life is Theatre’) contains ten plays written in 1983–2008. The plays were meant for amateur theatre groups in villages, and they have been played successfully across Estonia. The play Kiitus kosjakontorile (‘Praise to the Matchmaker’s Office’) was performed by the Estonian theatre group of Thirlmere, Australia, in 1994. Osila’s plays are realistic and true to life. The author has stated that she has copied her stories from life, combining the doings and sayings of several persons into one character. Osila’s plays are also suitable for reading as stories. They provide an overview of Estonian village life in the final decades of the 20th century and the first years of the 21st century.

Osila has said that her poetry is an outcome of her mental states, as many of her poetry collections have been inspired by difficult experiences or events. Her emotional love and nature poetry is popular in Estonia. Osila writes about the home and homeland, childhood memories and love, nature and human feelings. Although her creation sometimes expresses a tint of sorrow, it is still hopeful and optimistic. Virve Osila calls herself a child of nature and believer in stones. Her favourite places are graveyards and forests; her favourite tree is the rowan. The poet is happy about what is beautiful, but she is also critical of the society and refers to sore points in life. Most of Osila’s poems are in traditional verse with a simple rhyming scheme, but she has also written sonnets and free verse. Virve Osila’s lyrical poetry does not tend to philosophy. The sincerity, logic and comprehensibility of her mode of expression make Osila’s poetry enjoyable to many. A lot of her poems have been set to music (among others, by Urmas Alender, a classic of Estonian rock) and translated into Russian and German.

L. P. (Translated by I. A.)

Books in Estonian

Poetry
Mälestuste tuul. Viljandi: Perioodika, 1990. 54 lk.
Valgus valusvaikselt väreleb. Kohtla-Järve: Põhjarannik, 1990. 64 lk.
Südameaed: kolmas kogu luuletusi. Kohtla-Järve: Põhjarannik, 1993. 80 lk.
Lootuse luiged. Viljandi: Ajaleht Sakala, 1994. 64 lk.
Hingelind. Viljandi: V. Osila, 1995. 23 lk. [Luuletused Urmas Alenderi mälestuseks.]
Kodulaulud. Kohtla-Järve: V. Osila, 1996. 16 lk.
Liblikatiibade tuhk: Läänemaalt leitud laulud: 1966–1971. Haapsalu: Anamnesia, 1996. 54 lk.
Peotäis päikeseõisi. Kohtla-Järve: V. Osila, 1996. 93 lk.
Tundelaulud. Kohtla-Järve: V. Osila, 1996. 8 lk.
Lastelaulud. Kohtla-Järve: V. Osila, 1997. 16 lk.
Elan oma väikest elu. Jõhvi: V. Osila, 1998. 75 lk.
Aeg enne Linnuteed. Jõhvi: V. Osila, 1999. 104 lk.
Mõtteharjutuste vihik: elukooli 53. kursus: 1999/2000. õ-a. Mäetaguse: V. Osila, 2000. 25 lk.
Nägemused. Jõhvi: V. Osila, 2000. 32 lk.
Köögilaulud. Jõhvi: V. Osila, 2001. 44 lk.
Pühendused. I. Jõhvi: V. Osila, 2001. 40 lk.
5-aastakud. Eesti: V. Osila, 2001. 16 lk.
Eelõhtused. Jõhvi: V. Osila, 2002.  84 lk.
Pühendused II. Jõhvi: V. Osila, 2002. 36 lk.
Elu & aeg. Eluaeg. Jõhvi: V. Osila, 2004. 136 lk.
Varjus. Mäetaguse: V. Osila, 2006. 95 lk.
Maa ja taeva vahel. Mäetaguse: V. Osila, 2008. 112 lk.
Läbi enese: valik elu-, olu-, mälu-, ilu- ja valupildikesi. Mäetaguse: V. Osila, 2009.
131 lk.
Hajameelsus. Mäetaguse: V. Osila, 2010. 72 lk.
Terad ja sõklad. Mäetaguse: V. Osila, 2012. 78 lk.
Paigalrändaja. Mäetaguse: V. Osila, 2014. 80 lk.
Siit nurgast ja sealt nurgast... Mäetaguse: V. Osila, 2018. 119 lk.
Süda peopesal: valitud luuletused 1966–2014. / I osa. Mäetaguse; Jõhvi: PR Põhjarannik, 2016. 499 lk.
Süda peopesal: valitud luuletused 1966–2014. / II osa. Mäetaguse; Jõhvi: PR Põhjarannik, 2016. 466 lk.
Noppeid: luuletused, mõtisklused, elupildid, arvamused, sahtlisalmid. Loomingulise materjali kogus kokku Tiina Tõnurist. Mäetaguse: V. Osila, 2022. 136 lk.

Plays
Elu on teater: kogutud näidendid. Mäetaguse; Jõhvi: PR Põhjarannik, 2018. 572  lk.

Essays and articles
Teretused. Jõhvi: Ü. A. Võsar, 1998. 231 lk. [Artiklid.]
Nii ma arvasin: arvamuslood 1997–2019. Mäetaguse: V. Osila, 2019.
335 lk.
Noppeid: luuletused, mõtisklused, elupildid, arvamused, sahtlisalmid. Loomingulise materjali kogus kokku Tiina Tõnurist. Mäetaguse: V. Osila, 2022. 136 lk.