all of whom imitated their master in a one-sided spiritless fashion, and debased his poetic style into mere mannerism. At the same time there was also a healthier tendency among a small circle of poets who strove to combine Tegnér's clearness in thought and expression, with the deeper sentiments and the natural symbolism of the Phosphorists, and in these efforts the two tendencies would alternately prevail. The most successful of these poets was Bernhard Elis Malmström (1816-65). His poems are not very numerous, but they abound in fine, noble sentiments, and are so excellent in form that they have become great favorites among the people. Among his short poems the romance, "Hvi suckar det så tungt uti Skogen?" which is well known throughout Sweden, is no doubt the best. The narrative poem, "Fiskarflickan från Tynnelsö" and the elegy, "Angelica," are also very fine. Malmström was professor of literature and æsthetics in the Upsala University, and is widely known as the author of "Literaturhistoriska Studier," while his extensive work, "Grunddragen af svenska vetterhets historia," is more or less one-sided, though it contains many excellent details. Carl Wilhelm Böttiger (1807-79) was also a talented poet. His soft elegiac verses are characterized by great excellence of form, but they frequently fall into a rather sentimental tone. They found, however, great favor with the public, and found many imitators who lost themselves in the most insipid exaggerations. His monographs of celebrated, especially Swedish, poets were highly appreciated, and they are genuine models of their kind.[1] Of the poets belonging to the school represented by Malmström and Böttiger, we may mention Herman Sätherberg (born 1812), Adolph Frederik Lindblad (born 1808), Gudmund Silfverstolpe (1815-53), Gustaf Lorenz Sommelius (1811-48), and Johan Nybom (born 1815).
The great number of novels, with subjects borrowed from
- ↑ B. E. Malmströms samlade Skrifter, I-VIII, Örebro, 1866-69. C. W. Böttigers samlade Skrifter, I-V, Stockholm, 1856-58.
