Nelly Anna Benschop (16 January 1918 – 31 January 2005) was a Dutch

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral or writte ...

. She was a best selling poet in the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

Early years

Benschop was born in

The Hague The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital of ...

and grew up in a strictly religious Dutch Reformed family. She followed the "Mulo" (advanced elementary education) and after that the "kweekschool" (teacher training college), graduating in 1937. She took recitation lessons from Lily van Haghe. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, she also received diplomas for

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

and

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

. After the war, she left her parents' house and became a

teacher A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. whe ...

at a girls' boarding school in

Driebergen Driebergen is a former village and municipality in the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is first mentioned as Thriberghen in 1159. The former municipality of Driebergen existed until 1931, when it merged with Rijsenburg, to create the new municipali ...

. After that, she worked as a teacher of Dutch and French at a ''Mulo'' in Arnhem and a "lyceum" (grammar school) in

Veenendaal Veenendaal () is a municipality and a town in central Netherlands, located in the province of Utrecht. Veenendaal is the only population centre within its administrative borders. The municipality had a population of 67.601 inhabitants on 1 january ...

. She retired in 1981.

Poetry

Benschop started writing poetry in 1948. In the meantime she recited poems of others, with sometimes a few of her own added. She debuted in 1967 by Kok Publishers in

Kampen Campen or Kampen may refer to: Places Finland * Kampen, the Swedish name of Kamppi, a district in Helsinki Germany * Campen, Germany, a village by the Ems estuary, northwestern Germany, home of the Campen Lighthouse * Campen Castle, a part ...

with the volume ''Gouddraad uit vlas'' ("Gold thread from flax"). The publisher almost didn't dare to bring it out, but the volume was an enormous success, and was reprinted sixty times. Of all her volumes of poetry, a total of three million copies were sold. Benschop also wrote aphorisms. Several of her poems are often quoted in death notices, especially ''In memoriam voor een vriend'' ("In memoriam for a friend"). Her work is deeply

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

, and because of that has not been taken very seriously by literary critics. Her work is considered more pastoral than literary. She said herself, with some self-mockery: "I write meditations in rhyme". Recurring themes in her work are suffering, death and Christian comfort. Schaarsbergen-graf-nelbenschop

Personal life

Benschop died, aged 87, in Arnhem.

Bibliography

* ''Gouddraad uit vlas'' ("Gold thread from flax") (1967) * ''Een boom in de wind'' ("A tree in the wind") (1970) * ''Een vlinder van God'' ("A butterfly of God") (1973) * ''Wit als sneeuw'' ("White as snow") (1974) * ''Een open hand naar de hemel'' ("An open hand to heaven") (1976) * ''Mag ik met je mee?'' ("Can I go with you?") (1976; anthology) * ''Geloof je dat nog?'' ("Do you still believe that?") (1979) * ''De vogel van het woord'' ("The bird of the word") (1980) * ''Verborgen bloemen'' ("Hidden flowers") (1981; aphorisms) * ''Verjaardagskalender'' ("Birthday calendar") (1981) * ''Zo zag ik Hem'' ("That way I saw Him") (1983) * ''Hemelhoog en aardediep'' ("High as heaven and deep as earth") (1985) * ''Ontluikend wonder'' ("Budding miracle") (1986) * ''Licht onder de horizon'' ("Light under the horizon") (1987) * ''Hij Die met ons is'' ("He Who is with us") (1989) * ''Geloven is geluk'' ("Believing is happiness") (1990) * ''Sporen in het zand'' ("Tracks in the sand") (1992) * ''Glimlach in woorden'' ("Smile in words") (1994; spreuken) * ''De nacht gaat weer voorbij'' ("The night will pass") (1995) * ''De stem uit de wolk'' ("The voice from the cloud") (1997) * ''Je ogen zijn zo vol licht'' ("Your eyes are so full of light") (1998) * ''Zie de mens'' ("Behold the man") (1999)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Benschop, Nel 1918 births 2005 deaths Calvinist and Reformed poets Dutch women poets Writers from The Hague Christian poets 20th-century Dutch poets 20th-century Dutch women writers