Page:History of the Literature of the Scandinavian North.djvu/215

Rh songs and festive poems may, however, still be read with pleasure.

An exceptionally gifted lyric poet, a rare phenomenon indeed in this period, was (1705-58). He was the son of a poor village tailor in Fuhnen, graduated at the gymnasium in his twentieth year, but never advanced any further, probably from lack of means to continue his studies. His youth and the greater part of his manhood he seems to have spent at various country-manors, partly as secretary (Skriverkarl) and partly as tutor. His last years he spent at Ribe teaching the children of respected citizens, and died in this city in the greatest poverty, having all his life struggled with want and adversity, a fact which did not fail to leave some traces in his poetry, though the latter upon the whole bears the stamp of a fresh, cheerful, sanguine disposition that was not easily damped or discouraged. During his lifetime he found but little appreciation beyond the circle of his nearest acquaintances. He is a striking illustration of the complete lack of poetic taste which characterized his time. In all his poems there beats a warm and noble poetic heart, and, in spite of their stiff, obsolete language, many of them are still genuine pearls. It must not be forgotten that Stub was almost the first Danish lyrical poet outside the field of purely religious poetry, and that as such he had many difficulties to overcome both as regards form and language, and we are therefore astonished when we see what progress he made with, as it were, a single bold stroke. A small collection of his poems was printed for the first time in 1771, long after his death, and this little volume contained all that remained of his poetical industry, which must have been very fruitful, but the little book was received with great favor and became very popular. He composed both spiritual and secular songs, and while the former are marked by a warm, noble and pious sentiment, the latter overflow with