Wergeland, Henrik Arnold

Wergeland, Henrik Arnold

▪ Norwegian poet
born June 17, 1808, Kristiansand, Nor.
died July 12, 1845, Christiania

      Norway's great national poet, symbol of Norway's independence, whose humanitarian activity, revolutionary ideas, and love of freedom made him a legendary figure. The clash between his faction (the “patriots”) and the pro-Danish “intelligentsia” led by Johan Welhaven (Welhaven, Johan Sebastian Cammermeyer) (q.v.) marked the beginning of an ideological conflict that persisted throughout the century.

      Of Wergeland's enormous and varied output, his poetry has stood the test of time. Some of the best known titles are Skabelsen, mennesket og messias (1830; “Creation, Humanity, and Messiah”), Digte, første ring (1829; “Poems, First Cycle,” selections from this and later cycles translated in Poems, 1929), Spaniolen (1833; “The Spaniard”), For arbeidsklassen (“For the Working Class”), and Jøden (1842; “The Jew”). His narrative poems, Jan van Huysums blomsterstykke (1840; “Jan van Huysum's Flowerpiece”) and Den Engelske lods (1844; “The English Pilot”) are often cited as his finest works.

      Wergeland had an undaunted belief in the new Norway, its people, and the constitution of 1814, but it did not blind him. His criticism was very outspoken, and he had to fight against a constant strong opposition. The tremendous optimism of his verse was, in his case, not the product of a sheltered existence. His battle for the abolition of the paragraph in the constitution that excluded Jews from the country was typical of his practical political undertakings. He did not live quite long enough to see his success in this case.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • WERGELAND, HENRIK ARNOLD° — (1808–1845), Norwegian poet. Wergeland occupies a unique place in the cultural history of Norway as a leading figure in intellectual and national life in the 1830s and 1840s. In his Norges Konstitutions Historie ( History of the Norwegian… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • Wergeland, Henrik Arnold — (1808 1845)    A Norwegian poet, prose writer, and dramatist, Wergeland is recognized as the greatest poet of his country. Raised in Kristiansand and Eidsvoll, he attended Christiania (now Oslo) Cathedral School and the University of Oslo, from… …   Historical Dictionary of Scandinavian Literature and Theater

  • Wergeland, Henrik Arnold — ► (1808 45) Poeta y dramaturgo noruego. Autor de La Europa libertada (1831) …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Henrik Arnold Wergeland — Henrik Wergeland Henrik Arnold Wergeland, im Kirchenbuch „Henrich Arnold Wergeland“[1] (* 17. Juni 1808 in Kristiansand; † 12. Juli 1845 in Christiania) war ein norwegischer Dichter der Spätaufklärung und …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Henrik Arnold Wergeland — Henrik Wergeland. Henrik Arnold Wergeland (Kristiansand, 17 de junio de 1808 Cristiania, 12 de julio de 1845). Autor y orador noruego, cuya colosal personalidad dominó totalmente su época. Estudió en la Katedralskole y cursó teología en la… …   Wikipedia Español

  • Wergeland — Wergeland, Henrik Arnold …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Wergeland — Wergeland, Henrik Arnold, geb. 17. Juni 1808 in Christiansand, studirte seit 1825 Theologie in Christiania u. lebte dann meist zu Eidsvold; weil er aber seiner politischen Ansichten wegen keine Pfarrstelle bekam, so studirte er seit 1834 in… …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Wergeland — Wergeland, Henrik Arnold, norweg. Dichter, geb. 17. Juni 1808 zu Kristiansand, gest. 12. Juli 1845 als Reichsarchivar zu Kristiania; beste Werke: das Singspiel »Die Campbells« und das Schauspiel »Die Venetianer« (1843; dän., 2. Aufl. 1877).… …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • Wergeland — Wergeland, Henrik Arnold, geb. 1808 zu Christiania, gest. 1845 als norweg. Reichsarchivar zu Christiania. angesehener Dichter (Gesammelte Werke, Bd. 1–6, Christiania 1851–56) …   Herders Conversations-Lexikon

  • Henrik Wergeland — Daguerréotype de Wergeland Henrik Arnold Wergeland est un poète et écrivain norvégien né le 17 juin 1808 à Kristiansand et mort le 12 juillet 1845 à Christiana. Cette personnalité politique fougueuse, qui ne concevait que le… …   Wikipédia en Français

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”