Contemporary Danish Literature
The book explores the cultural and literary developments in Denmark from the mid-19th century to the early 20th century. It discusses the rise of realism and naturalism in Danish literature, and how these movements influenced the work of writers such as Jens Peter Jacobsen and Georg Brandes. The text also examines the impact of urbanization and industrialization on Danish society and culture, and how this is reflected in the literature of the time. The author argues that the growing middle class and the emergence of a more secular society led to changes in the way people thought about themselves and their place in the world. Throughout the book, Boysen draws on a wide range of sources, including literary texts, historical documents, and cultural artifacts. He provides detailed analyses of key works and authors, as well as broader discussions of the social and cultural context in which they were written. The book is divided into several chapters, each of which focuses on a different aspect of Danish literature during this period. The author begins by discussing the early 19th-century writers who laid the groundwork for the realist movement, and then moves on to examine the work of key figures such as Jacobsen and Brandes. Boysen also explores the ways in which Danish literature was influenced by European trends and movements, including Romanticism and Symbolism. He argues that these influences helped to shape the unique characteristics of Danish literature during this period, and that they continue to be felt today. The book concludes with a discussion of the legacy of Danish literature from this period, and how it continues to influence contemporary writers and readers.
By Hjalmar Hjorth Boysen · First published 1925 · Genre: Literary Criticism, Cultural History, Biography · 5,331 words
First lines
The late Romantic authors of Denmark who lived on the traditions of Oehlenschlaeger's time and the aesthetical doctrines of J. L. Heiberg, have gradually been passing away; and a new generation has grown up, which, though it knows Joseph, has repudiated his doctrine. A period of stagnation followed the disappearance of the Romanticists. The Sleswick-Holstein war of 1866, and the consequent hostility to Germany, cut off the intellectual intercourse between the two countries which in the first half of the century had been lively and intimate; and as, for a while, no new ties were formed, a respectable dulness settled upon the little island kingdom. People lived for the concerns of the day, earned their bread and butter, amused themselves to the best of their ability, but troubled themselves very little about the battles of thought which were being fought upon the great arena of the world. The literary activity which now and then flared up spasmodically, like flames over a smouldering ash-heap, flickered and half-expired for want of fresh sustenance. A direfully conventional romanticist, H. F. Ewald (1821-1892), wrote voluminous modern and historical novels, the heroines of which were usually models of all the copy-book virtues, and the heroes as bloodless as their brave and loyal prototypes in "Ivanhoe" and "Waverley. " Instead of individualizing his _dramatis personae_ this feeble successor of Ingemann and Walter Scott gave them a certificate of character, vouching for their goodness or badness, and trusting the reader to take his word for it in either case. Like many another popular novelist, he varnished them with the particular tint of excellence or depravity that might suit his purpose, stuffed their heads with bran and their bellies with sawdust, but troubled himself little about what lay beneath the epidermis.
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Contemporary Danish Literature is listed on Textopian as an essay by Hjalmar Hjorth Boysen, dated 1925 CE.
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- Work type: Essay
- Author: Hjalmar Hjorth Boysen
- Date: 1925 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Literary Criticism, Cultural History, Biography, Romanticism, Realism
- Length: 5,331 words
- Structure: 1 section, 19 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
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- Work identity for Contemporary Danish Literature by Hjalmar Hjorth Boysen
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Discussion starters
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Genres
- Literary Criticism — The book provides an analysis of Danish literature, focusing on the transition from Romanticism to modern literary movements.
- Cultural History — It explores the cultural and historical context of Denmark during the late 19th century, including the impact of political events on literature.
- Biography — The text includes biographical sketches of notable Danish authors and their contributions to literature.
- Romanticism — The book discusses the decline of Romanticism in Danish literature and its influence on subsequent literary trends.
Tags
Danish literature · Contemporary fiction · Literary criticism · Cultural studies · European literature · 20th century literature · Scandinavian literature · National identity · Language and culture · Translation studies · Literary theory · Postmodernism