Page:History of the Literature of the Scandinavian North.djvu/256

238 good taste and sound reason. What Baggesen only dimly felt was afterward distinctly and forcibly stated by J. L. Heiberg, who continued Baggesen's critical work against Oehlenschläger, and who not only brought out in their true light the characteristic excellences of the poet, but also pointed out his faults in a fair and thorough manner.

Of Oehlenschläger's numerous works we have still to mention the following: The great cycle of epic poems, "Nordens Guder" (The Gods of the North), one of his most excellent works. It appeared complete in 1819, while the first part, "Thors Reise til Jotunheim," had already been published in 1807 in his "Nordiske Digte." The tragedy "Yrsa" belongs to the group containing "Hroars Saga" and "Helge." Moreover the masterly written "Orvarodds Saga," the great epic compositions "Rolf Krage" (1829), his last great work, "Regnar Lodbrok" (1848), and the tragedies, "Erik and Abel," "Dronning Margrete," and "Dina."

As a writer of comedies Oehlenschläger does not rank very high. The comedies he produced, especially his "Frejas Alter" (Freyja's Altar), which he revised many times, show that while he possessed the wit and humor, his nature was too direct and he lacked the reflection which is indispensable in the comedy if it is to fulfil its main purpose, that of reflecting faithful pictures of life.

Of the vast number of Oehlenschläger's lyric poems and romances there are many that must be counted among the best productions of the poet. Of his prose works there is a long novel, "Öen i Sydhavet" (the island in the South Sea), which contains many fine episodes, but which, on the whole, is rather fatiguing on account of its great length. His "Levnet," an autobiography which reaches to his thirtieth year, was afterwards continued and enlarged by him under the title of "Erindringer" (recollections). It is a strange and entertaining work, but it suffers from a superabundance of details.

From the year 1810 Oehlenschläger was professor of