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LITERATURE.
401
prevailed. It is the era of Linné and Scheele. Literature also flowed in new
channels — the didactic and political. O. von Dalin (1708/63), the leading
spirit during the early part of the period, calls vividly to mind the contemporary
English and French authors: the same attempt to gain a correct and lucid style
and the same frigidness. Following Addison’s and Steele’s example, he issued a
weekly periodical »The Swedish Argus». The influence of Dryden and Swift appears
in his political allegories and his poetry. Dalin is pre-eminent partly on account
of the development of style which Swedish pross gained through him, partly
because he opened the way in Sweden for the ideas of the Time of enlightenment.
These ideas were still more developed and confirmed through Mrs. ff. Ch.
Nordenflycht (1718/63), Count G. F. Creutz (1731/85), and Count G. F. Gyllenborg
(1731/1808), who, moreover, specially favoured the French taste.
But K. M.
Bellman (1740/95), the most
original and perhaps the
greatest of all our poets,
is entirely national and
does not seem to have
been much influenced by
the ideas and tendencies
of his time. Bellman’s
poetry gives expression
to a Dionysian joy at
the pleasures of life and
a melancholy lament at
their vanity. He has
especially an eye for the
beauties of nature, and
no other poet has
depicted the fairness of the
scenery around
Stockholm as he. With
regard to form too,
Bellman is quite original
and the virtuosity with
which, despite a seeming
carelessness, he handles
the rhythm and the
meter, is unexcelled. His
most celebrated work is
a collection of epic-lyric
songs, entitled
»Fred-man’s Epistlar», in which
he immortalizes some
well-known characters of
Stockholm, then living.
These Bacchanalian revelers are portrayed with powerful realism that calls
to mind the expressive paintings of the Dutch Masters, as well as the graces
of the Rococo period. The charm of Bellman’s songs depends largely on the
music which is almost inseparable from the poem; his poetry is composed for
singing, not for reading. The poet has himself set tunes to some of his songs,
if not, he h$s generally borrowed the melodies from known ballads and then
altered them to suit the words, thus creating a harmoniousness of complete fusion.
Even in our days Bellman’s songs are sung by the people in preference to others.
Sweden. 26
Statue of Karl Mikael Bellman. At Hasselbacken, Stockholm.
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