elegant manner, and carried forward through interesting situations to a satisfactory conclusion. This, together with his lively and tasteful style, makes his works a very attractive and charming reading. Of his many novels, in which the plot is taken from modern daily life, his "Lykkens Yndling" (Fortune's favorite) and "To Venner" (two friends) had the greatest success, and of his historical novels the most remarkable are "Gamle Minder" (Old recollections) from the times of Struense and Queen Carolina Mathilde; "Kröniker fra Erik af Pomerens Tid" (Chronicles from the time of Erik of Pomerania), and "Kröniker fra Christian den Andens Tid" (Chronicles from the time of Christian II).[1]
From this sketch of modern Danish poetical literature it appears that it attained an uncommonly rich development after Oehlenschläger had appeared and spoken the emancipating word which broke the magic bonds that had fettered the intellectual powers of the nation. And yet we have given only the most important names. The intellectual life was thriving to an almost incredible degree, and almost every day brought forth a new poet. Many of them lived to be sure only an ephemeral life in the literature, but in addition to those already mentioned, there were still many who became known and deserve recognition from the fact that they expressed from their own point of view certain sides of the aesthetic culture of the period. We shall name the most important ones among them.
Emil Aarestrup (1800-56) was a remarkable lyrical talent, whose glowing erotic poems betray an intellectual kinship now with Chr. Winther, and now with Heine, yet his productions always bear the unmistakable stamp of the peculiar individuality of the author. One of the main features of his poetry is a strongly marked sensuality—and in this he goes further than any other poet of his time—and a vigorous bold humor that is sprinkled through his verses. To this he
- ↑ Carl Bernhards samlede Noveller og Fortællinger, I-XIV, Copenhagen, 1856-67.
