Lauri Viita

{{Infobox person

| name = Lauri Viita

| image = Lauri Viita (cropped).jpg

| image_size = 250px

| caption =

| birth_date = {{birth date|1916|12|17|df=y}}

| birth_place = Pirkkala, Finland

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1965|12|22|1916|12|17|df=y}}

| death_place = Helsinki, Finland

}}

Lauri Arvi Viita (17 December 1916 – 22 December 1965) was a poet hailing from the Pispala district of Tampere, Finland.

Viita was a verbally talented son of a carpenter who became a self-taught writer. He only published four poetry collections, but they became very popular. He also inspired other writers who had a working-class background. Viita's last creative years were shadowed by a mental illness, and he spent several periods in hospital.{{cite web |url=http://authorscalendar.info/lviita.htm |title=Lauri (Arvi) Viita (1916-1965) |last1=Liukkonen |first1=Petri |date=2008 |website=Authors' Calendar |publisher= |access-date=24 September 2016 |quote=}}

Viita wrote mainly traditional poetry with rhymes. In 1950s, he was shadowed by emerging modernists such as Paavo Haavikko and Tuomas Anhava. He played with words and published e.g. a poem where all words started with letter K.{{cite web |url=http://www.tieteessatapahtuu.fi/028/varpio.pdf |title=Luova hulluus – Lauri Viidan runous |last1=Verpio |first1=Yrjö |date=2002 |website=Tieteessä Tapahtuu |publisher= |access-date=24 September 2016 |language=fi}}

Viita was married three times and had seven children. His second wife was famous poet Aila Meriluoto. Viita died in a car accident in December 1965,{{cite web |url=http://www.lauriviitamuseo.fi/in-english/ |title=Lauri Viita Museum - in English |website=Lauri Viita Museum |publisher= |access-date=24 September 2016}} when the taxi he was in was struck by a truck driven by a drunk driver.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mantsalanuutiset.fi/paikalliset/3200096|title=Vaikuttava Lauri Viita – mäntsäläläinen Jukka Lyytinen kokosi kirjailijan elämän kansien väliin|last=Manninen|first=Alpo|website=Mäntsälän Uutiset|date=26 December 2020|access-date=26 May 2022|language=fi}}