Hans Vilhelm (H. V.) Kaalund (27 June 1818 – 27 April 1885) was a

Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish a ...

lyric poet Modern lyric poetry is a formal type of poetry which expresses personal emotions or feelings, typically spoken in the first person. It is not equivalent to song lyrics, though song lyrics are often in the lyric mode, and it is also ''not'' equi ...

Early life

He was the son of a customs officer. He grew in the border district near the walls of

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...

. He studied sculpture and painting, but his early attempts to be an artist were interrupted by a

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. After working in various occupations, he took a position as a teacher at a

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, where he as able to write in his free time.

Career

His verses on the return of Thorvaldsen (1838) were positively received and convinced him to take up literature as a profession. His poems, “Kong Haldan den Stœrke” (1840), and “Valkyrien Göndul” (1842), were successful but not profitable. The same was true of his other works until the publication of his lyrics in the book ''Et Foraar'' (“A Spring,” 1858), a collection of his best pieces. In 1875 his drama ''Fulvia'' appeared, and another collection of poetry, ''En Eftervaar'' (“An After-Spring”), appeared in 1877. Apart from love poetry and political statements, ''Et Foraar'' and ''En Eftervaar'' contain a lot of thought lyrics, perhaps his most important legacy. A characteristic element in Kaalund’s poetry is its demonstrative commitment to realities. Though a late romanticist, he continuously stresses the importance of building life upon a base of facts – without abandoning idealism. This is felt in poems like "Jeg elsker den brogede Verden" (“I love the colourful World” - 1858) and in his often sung "Paa det Jevne" (“On the Ground” - 1872). The latter was lauded as a typical Danish expression of matter-of-fact attitudes and criticised as just a typical lack of ambition. This split makes him a poet of transition between

romanticism Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic, literary, musical, and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century, and in most areas was at its peak in the approximate ...

and

realism Realism, Realistic, or Realists may refer to: In the arts *Realism (arts), the general attempt to depict subjects truthfully in different forms of the arts Arts movements related to realism include: *Classical Realism *Literary realism, a move ...

. His best poems are still quoted. Kaalund is known primarily for his ''Fabler for Børn'' (“Fables for Children,” 1845; illustrated by

Johan Lundbye Johan Thomas Lundbye (1 September 1818 – 25 April 1848) was a Danish painter and graphic artist, known for his animal and landscape paintings. He was inspired by Niels Laurits Høyen's call to develop nationalistic art through depictions of De ...

), a book of verses about animals. They are not fables, but small snapshots of animals. Some are sentimental, some humorous. The most famous is "Den dræbte And" - “The killed Duck”. Like the

fairy tales A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the folklore genre. Such stories typically feature magic, enchantments, and mythical or fanciful beings. In most cult ...

of H. C. Andersen, they testify to the rising interest of children and nature in

Danish literature Danish literature () a subset of Scandinavian literature, stretches back to the Middle Ages. The earliest preserved texts from Denmark are runic inscriptions on memorial stones and other objects, some of which contain short poems in alliterative ...

and have several times been re-edited. Another collection for children was ''Fabler og blandede Digte'' (1844). Kaalund died 27 April 1885.

Literature

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kaalund, Hans Vilhelm 1818 births 1885 deaths Danish male poets 19th-century Danish poets 19th-century male writers Lyric poets