Anna Maria Lenngren, née ''Malmstedt'' (June 18, 1754 – March 8, 1817), was one of the most famous poets in

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

history. Her father and brother were also poets. One of her best-known poems is ''Några ord till min kära dotter, ifall jag hade någon'' ("Advice to my dear daughter, if I had one"). She also wrote on Sweden's class system in the satirical poems against snobbery ''Hans nåds morgonsömn'' ("His Grace's morning snooze") and ''Grevinnans besök'' ("The Countess's visit").

Life

Early life

Anna Maria Lenngren was born in Uppsala as the daughter of the poet Magnus Brynolf Malmstedt (1724–1798), a professor in

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

Uppsala University Uppsala University ( sv, Uppsala universitet) is a public university, public research university in Uppsala, Sweden. Founded in 1477, it is the List of universities in Sweden, oldest university in Sweden and the Nordic countries still in opera ...

, and Märta Johanna Florin (d. 1788). Her father was a member of the

Moravian Church The Moravian Church ( cs, Moravská církev), or the Moravian Brethren, formally the (Latin: "Unity of the Brethren"), is one of the oldest Protestantism, Protestant Christian denomination, denominations in Christianity, dating back to the Bohem ...

and was known for his social work; from 1772, he hosted a school for poor children in his home. Both her parents published hymns, and her brother Johan Magnus (1749–80) wrote secular poems. Anna Maria Lenngren became set against religion and in favor of the realism of the

age of enlightenment The Age of Enlightenment or the Enlightenment; german: Aufklärung, "Enlightenment"; it, L'Illuminismo, "Enlightenment"; pl, Oświecenie, "Enlightenment"; pt, Iluminismo, "Enlightenment"; es, La Ilustración, "Enlightenment" was an intel ...

through dislike of her father's passionate religious feelings; but her humanism and passion for social justice have also been attributed to her father's influence. In her social views, she felt sympathy for the working classes, opposed the privileges of the nobility and acted as a spokesperson for the "third estate", idealizing a simple and humble life style. Her father observed her talent early on, and stated that he wished to "make of her not only a literary, but a learned woman". He gave her an advanced education, and she was tutored at home in

and the

Classics Classics or classical studies is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, classics traditionally refers to the study of Classical Greek and Roman literature and their related original languages, Ancient Greek and Latin. Classics ...

of antiquity. Her favorite poet was

Horace Quintus Horatius Flaccus (; 8 December 65 – 27 November 8 BC), known in the English-speaking world as Horace (), was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus (also known as Octavian). The rhetorician Quintilian regarded his ' ...

Early career

She began her career in poetry with

review A review is an evaluation of a publication, product, service, or company or a critical take on current affairs in literature, politics or culture. In addition to a critical evaluation, the review's author may assign the work a content rating, ...

epitome An epitome (; gr, ἐπιτομή, from ἐπιτέμνειν ''epitemnein'' meaning "to cut short") is a summary or miniature form, or an instance that represents a larger reality, also used as a synonym for embodiment. Epitomacy represents "t ...

epigram An epigram is a brief, interesting, memorable, and sometimes surprising or satirical statement. The word is derived from the Greek "inscription" from "to write on, to inscribe", and the literary device has been employed for over two mille ...

s and translations in the 1770s. Among her earliest works were interpretations of Horace, published anonymously in the press. In 1772, she published her first poem under her own name, the funeral poem '. In 1774–77, she frequently wrote for

Anna Hammar-Rosén Anna Hammar-Rosén, née Hammar (1735–1805), was a Sweden, Swedish newspaper editor. She was the Company Director, director, chief editor and publisher of the popular newspaper ''Hwad Nytt?? Hwad Nytt??'' in Gothenburg between 1773 and 1795.Berg ...

's paper '. In 1776 she was commissioned by Duke Charles, the King of Sweden's brother, for a translation of the French

operetta Operetta is a form of theatre and a genre of light opera. It includes spoken dialogue, songs, and dances. It is lighter than opera in terms of its music, orchestral size, length of the work, and at face value, subject matter. Apart from its s ...

''Lucile'', the first French operetta translated into Swedish. In its introduction, she defended women's right to intellectual work. It was a success: Lenngren was awarded a golden clock as a token of appreciation by the royal Duchess Charlotte, and was given several similar translation commissions by the royal house. Lenngren enjoyed great success: already in 1774, she was inducted into a literary society in Uppsala, earned good reviews and poetic tributes in the press, became known as a defender of intellectual women, and referred to herself as a "litterata". She became a member of the

Royal Society of Sciences and Letters in Gothenburg The Royal Society of Arts and Sciences in Gothenburg ( sv, Kungliga Vetenskaps- och Vitterhets-Samhället i Göteborg, abbreviated KVVS and often known simply as ''Samhället'') is a Swedish Royal Academy. Its predecessor was founded in Gothenburg ...

in 1775, and of the

Utile Dulci The Utile Dulci was a learned and musical Academy and Secret Society in Stockholm in Sweden. It was founded in memory of Olof von Dalin in 1766, and held its last session in 1795. History The Utile Dulci was alongside the Royal Swedish Academy of ...

in 1779. She was one of only three women members of the Utile Dulci, the others being

Anna Charlotta von Stapelmohr Anna may refer to: People Surname and given name * Anna (name) Mononym * Anna the Prophetess, in the Gospel of Luke * Anna (wife of Artabasdos) (fl. 715–773) * Anna (daughter of Boris I) (9th–10th century) * Anna (Anisia) (fl. 1218 to 1221) ...

and

Anna Brita Wendelius Anna Brita Wendelius, née ''Ramklou'' (1741–1804), also known as Wendelia, was a Swedish artist and singer. She was a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music and the Utile Dulci. Anna Brita Wendelius was married to a wealthy merchant, ...

. In 1777, she repeated her demand in favor of women's right to intellectual pursuits in ''Thé-conseillen''.

Married life

In 1780, she married the official Carl Peter Lenngren (1750–1827). He was the chief editor of ', which the famous poet and critic

Johan Henric Kellgren Johan Henrik Kellgren (1 December 1751 – 20 April 1795) was a Swedish poet and critic. Biography He was born at Floby in Västergötland (now part of Falköping Municipality, Västra Götaland County). He studied at the Royal Academy of Turku, ...

and he published. Kellgren worked with Lenngren on several assignments from 1778 onwards, reportedly providing her with inspiration, and sharing an interest in the ideas of

Voltaire François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778) was a French Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher. Known by his ''Pen name, nom de plume'' M. de Voltaire (; also ; ), he was famous for his wit, and his ...

. She published poems and prose in ' from 1778 onwards, but after her wedding, she only published anonymously, stopping altogether by the end of the 1780s. Her marriage caused a great change in her life. After her wedding, she officially stopped being active in the literary world, publishing under pseudonyms, renouncing her previous stand in favor of women's intellectual and literary emancipation, and arguing that women should avoid literary pursuits in favor of developing their character as suitable wives and mothers. Whether she was honest in this change of opinion, or was using

irony Irony (), in its broadest sense, is the juxtaposition of what on the surface appears to be the case and what is actually the case or to be expected; it is an important rhetorical device and literary technique. Irony can be categorized into ...

to make a point, has been the subject of debate. Lenngren came to admire

Rousseau Jean-Jacques Rousseau (, ; 28 June 1712 – 2 July 1778) was a Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer. His political philosophy influenced the progress of the Age of Enlightenment throughout Europe, as well as aspects of the French Revolu ...

, and may have come to support his ideas of the role of women in the 1780s, views further supported by the religious values of simplicity and humility in her childhood home.

Ingrid Arvidsson Ingrid Helena Arvidsson ( Löfstedt, 3 July 1919 – 7 May 2023) was a Swedish poet, author, diplomat, and journalist. Biography Arvidsson was born to Einar Löfstedt, a Latin professor, and Annie Günther, a literary critic, on 3 July 1919 ...

argued that Lenngren had a deeply ambivalent view on the subject, affected by her personality: "The fact that Mrs L was hurt by criticism is evident in several of her poems, but she did also have the more unusual sensitivity of being hurt by admiration". After her marriage, she hosted a

literary salon A salon is a gathering of people held by an inspiring host. During the gathering they amuse one another and increase their knowledge through conversation. These gatherings often consciously followed Horace's definition of the aims of poetry, "e ...

, which became a center of cultural debate frequented by Gustaf af Leopold,

Nils von Rosenstein Nils von Rosenstein (1 December 1752 — 7 August 1824) was a Swedish civil servant and propagator for enlightenment thinking. He served as tutor to the future King Gustav IV Adolf for eleven years (1784–1795) and as the first permanent secreta ...

Frans Michael Franzén Frans Michael Franzén (9 February 1772 – 14 August 1847) was a Swedish-Finnish poet and clergyman. He served as the Bishop of the Diocese of Härnösand. Biography Franzén was born in Oulu ( sv, Uleåborg), Northern Ostrobothnia, Sweden ( ...

and Gudmund Jöran Adlerbeth. During these years she is described as witty and intelligent but humble and modest. Her spouse was described as "principally known as useful and boring", but the marriage was a happy one, and she used to take him to the

Academy and sing with him. She had no children, but adopted a daughter. In 1797 the daughter was placed in a mental asylum, but died soon after her admission, an event which affected Lenngren deeply, as did the death of her father, who drowned under suspicious circumstances in 1798. In 1790, another great change occurred when

discontinued his literary production because of an illness. This damaged the paper of her spouse and Anna Maria Lenngren resumed her contributions in ' for financial reasons. However, she insisted on staying anonymous and refused to officially resume her career, although unofficially her pseudonyms were known and she was known as the writer of the work which she published during these years, though she insisted on remaining officially anonymous. Her salon at Beridarebansgatan was the center of the Royal Swedish Academy, and though she was never a formal member, they called her their "invisible member". On December 20, 1797, the Royal Swedish Academy celebrated her with the ' ("Ode to Mrs Lenngren"), read by

Gustaf Fredrik Gyllenborg Count Gustaf Fredrik Gyllenborg (25 November 1731 – 30 March 1808) was a Swedish writer. Gustaf Fredrik Gyllenborg was born in Suinstad, Östergötland and died in Stockholm. He was one of the leading lights of Tankebyggarorden (Order of th ...

. She declined their admiration with the poem ' ("Dream"), in which she described how the poet

Hedvig Charlotta Nordenflycht Hedvig Charlotta Nordenflycht ( Stockholm, Sweden, 28 November 1718 – Stockholm, Sweden, 29 June 1763) was a Swedish poet, feminist and salon hostess. Biography She was the youngest of five children of the wealthy official Anders Ander ...

had appeared to her and deemed her unworthy. However, she signed ' with her own name, the first that she had written under her own name since her marriage, and her last. Lenngren died of breast cancer aged 62, and was buried in Stockholm's

Klara kyrka The Church of Saint Clare or Klara Church ( sv, Klara kyrka) is a church in central Stockholm. Since 1989, the Swedish Evangelical Mission is responsible for its activities. The Church of Saint Clare is located on Klara Västra Kyrkogata in the ...

cemetery.

Literary career

Anna Maria Lenngren debuted as a writer of poems for funerals and weddings, and her earliest work has a tone of the ecstatic passion common in the religious circles of her father. This was however quickly replaced by a more sober tone in line with the scientific sense and realism of the

. As a writer, Lenngren frequently used satire,

sarcasm Sarcasm is the caustic use of words, often in a humorous way, to mock someone or something. Sarcasm may employ ambivalence, although it is not necessarily ironic. Most noticeable in spoken word, sarcasm is mainly distinguished by the inflection ...

, and

, and she often made parodied the genre of

pastoral A pastoral lifestyle is that of shepherds herding livestock around open areas of land according to seasons and the changing availability of water and pasture. It lends its name to a genre of literature, art, and music (pastorale) that depicts ...

, opera and

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...

. Her verse was often short, portraying everyday life, almost always in a city environment, and she criticized artificiality and lack of genuine value behind the facade. Ideologically, she was inspired by her personal friend and colleague

, with whom she often worked from 1778 onward.

Fredrik Böök Martin Fredrik Böök (May 12, 1883 in Kristianstad – December 2, 1961 in Copenhagen) was a Swedish professor of literary history at Lund University, literary critic and writer. He wrote biographies and books on Swedish literature.An extensive b ...

says that "there was every word needed and no more, almost no adjectives. She painted with only verbs and substantives", and Snoilsky writes in his poem ' ("An evening at Mrs Lenngren's"): "It's like a burdock, this witty meter". Her successful early career during the 1770s was influenced by her feminist ideas, foremost her defense of women's right to participate and engage in intellectual work. This is most evident in the forewords of her translation of ''Lucile'' (1776) and her poem ' (1777). Her radical change in views on the role of women, which took place in her work after her marriage in 1780, has been the subject of much debate. In her poem ' ("Advice to my dear daughter, if I had one") and '', she advice women to renounce intellectual aspirations and focus on shaping their character morally to that on an ideal wife and mother. She advice women to concentrate on domestic tasks rather than attempt to meddle in intellectual or political pursuits, because "Our household is our Republic; our politics is our appearance". She herself officially discontinued her career after her marriage by only publishing her works under anonymous pseudonyms and refusing to admit to them. However, Anna Maria Lenngren is famed for her great love for

, which has created uncertainty about whether she meant what she said literary or if she wished to prove her point by irony. Her poem ''Dröm'', which was given as a response to the admiration from the Academy in 1797, and in which she describe herself as unworthy, has also been interpreted as ironic in this regard. Anna Maria Lenngren was a supporter of the realistic and scientific views of the age on enlightenment and disliked religion, sometimes interpreted as a protest against the religious environment of her childhood home. She had radical views on Sweden's class system, opposed the privileges of the nobility, and defended the rights of the "third estate" or working class against oppression. She criticized the

snob ''Snob'' is a pejorative term for a person who believes there is a correlation between social status (including physical appearance) and human worth.De Botton, A. (2004), ''Status Anxiety''. London: Hamish Hamilton ''Snob'' also refers to a per ...

bery of the

nobility Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy (class), aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below Royal family, royalty. Nobility has often been an Estates of the realm, estate of the realm with many e ...

, the humble admiration their servants gave them and the anxious bowing of the working class, and portrayed the male members of the upper class as cold and merciless and the female members as snobby and ridiculous. A realist, she idealized "the third class", was inspired by the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...

. Above all, she fought for the intellectual freedom of women; that also women should be allowed to have opinions, and criticized male double standards. Her best-known poems on the class system are ' ("Morning prayer of His Grace") and ' ("Visit from the Countess"), in which she satirizes snobbery, and ' ("Boys"), in which she laments the fact that children of all classes can play with each other during their childhood, but that this solidarity and friendship is destroyed when they became adults, along with the popular ' ("There was no oatmeal but still a happy Christmas"), in which she describes the effects of poverty.

Legacy

Anna Maria Lenngren is one of the most famous poets in the history of Sweden. Her production has made her one of the few 18th-century Swedish poets who are still commonly read, and she has been published a number of times after her death during the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. In accordance with her instructions, her collected poems were published after her death by her widower under the name ' ("Attempts at Poetry"). After its publication, the Royal Swedish Academy had a memorial medal made with the inscription: "The less she sought fame, the more she gained it". Her correspondence with her personal friend Gustaf af Leopold from 1795 to 1798 has been published.

In fiction

Anna Maria Lenngren is portrayed in the novel ' ("Chamber-pot child") by Anna Laestadius Larsson from 2014, where she, alongside

Ulrika Pasch Ulrika "Ulla" Fredrica Pasch (10 July 1735 in Stockholm – 2 April 1796 in Stockholm), was a Swedish rococo painter and miniaturist, and a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts. Biography Education and early career Ulrika Pasch was ...

Ulrika Widström Ulrika Carolina Widström (24 November 1764, in Stockholm – 19 February 1841), was a Swedish poet and translator. Early life and education She was born to the organ manufacturer Peter Forsberg and Katarina Maria Grip. She was educated in bot ...

Jeanna von Lantingshausen Johanna "Jeanna" von Lantingshausen, née von Stockenström, (1753–1809), was a Swedish noble and courtier. She is foremost known as the instigator of the political demonstration by the noblewomen toward Gustav III in opposition of his parliament ...

Marianne Ehrenström Mariana "Marianne" Maximiliana Christiana Carolina Lovisa Ehrenström, née ''Pollet'' (9 December 1773 – 4 January 1867), was a Swedish writer, singer, painter, pianist, culture personality, memoir writer and lady-in-waiting. She was a mem ...

and

Sophie von Fersen Countess Eva Sophie Piper, née Eva Sophie von Fersen (30 March 1757 – 2 February 1816, Löfstad Slott), was a Swedish countess and lady in waiting. She was the daughter of count Axel von Fersen the Elder and Hedvig Catharina von Fersen and t ...

, becomes a member in a

Blue Stockings Society The Blue Stockings Society, an informal women's social and educational movement in England in the mid-18th century, emphasised education and mutual cooperation. Elizabeth Montagu, Elizabeth Vesey and others founded it in the early 1750s as a ...

organized by the Queen of Sweden and Norway,

Hedvig Elisabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp Hedwig Elisabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp ( sv, Hedvig Elisabet Charlotta; 22 March 1759 – 20 June 1818) was Queen of Sweden and Norway as the consort of King Charles XIII and II. She was also a famed diarist, memoirist and wit. She is k ...

Works

;Poems: * ', Upsala, 1772 * ', Upsala veckotidningar, 1772, Upsala * ', Upsala, 1774 * ', Upsala vecko-tidning, 1774 * ' * ', Uppsala, 1775 * ' Uppsala, 1778 * ''Impromptu'', Lunds vecko-blad, 1775 * ', Stockholm, 1777 * ', 1778 * ', 1798 * ', 1819 * ' (The Portraits) * ' (Visit from the Countess) * ' (Miss Juliana) * ' (His Grace's morning snooze) * ' (The Boys) * ' (The happy party) * ' (Advice to my dear daughter, if I had one) 1794 * ' (Other fabrics, Other customs!) ;Prose: * Contributions in ', 1774–1777 * Contributions in ', 1778–1803, 1809–1810, 1814–1816 * Contributions in ', 1789–1791, 1793, 1796–1797, 1801, 1816 * Contributions in ', 1792, 1794–1797, 1801 * Contributions in ', 1795, 1796, 1798, 1800, 1803, 1816 ;Translations: * J F Marmontel: ''Lucile'' operetta, 1776 * ', Comedie ballet, 1778 * ', Heroide, 1778 * C-S Favart: ''Arsene'', comedie, 1779 * O Wolff: ', 1819

References

External links

Samlade Skaldeförsök
– Anna Maria Lenngren's collected works {{DEFAULTSORT:Lenngren, Anna Maria Swedish-language writers Swedish women poets Swedish women's rights activists Deaths from breast cancer Deaths from cancer in Sweden 1754 births 1817 deaths People from Uppsala Writers from Stockholm Swedish salon-holders 18th-century Swedish women writers 18th-century Swedish writers Translators from French Translators to Swedish Members of the Royal Society of Sciences and Letters in Gothenburg 18th-century translators