Page:History of the Literature of the Scandinavian North.djvu/267

Rh lyric-erotic novel, "Warners poetiske Vandringer," which shows us the poet at the climax of idealism. With the legendary poem "De sorte Riddere" (the Black Knights), in which in a symbolic and fantastic form he gives expression to a hyperidealistic conception of the world, Ingemann closes the first epoch of his literary life, mainly a lyric period. In the following years he wrote chiefly dramas, in which the lyrical element is, however, still sufficiently prominent. The most important one of these is unquestionably the dramatized legend, "Reinald Underbarnet" (Reinald the Wonderchild), while "Masaniello" and "Blanca" (1815) reaped the greatest success.

While Ingemann was thus steadily growing in popular favor, the critics began to attack his productions for a want of flavor and marrow, and for an abstract mannerism. This was done most effectually by Heiberg in his witty, satirical drama, "Julespög og Nytaarslöier" (Christmas sport and New Year's fun). Out of this arose a violent literary feud in which Ingemann did not himself take part, but left it to Grundtvig to fight the matter out with Heiberg. In addition to these dramatic works he also published a number of lyrical and epic-lyrical poems, "Helias and Beatrice," "De underjordiske" (The underground people), etc.

In 1818, Ingemann entered on a long journey abroad, which was in many respects favorable to his development, and particularly contributed toward rousing him out of that ethereal frame of mind in which he up to this time had written his works, although the immediate result of his journey, a collection of poems called "Reiselyren" (The Traveller's Lyre), still contains several traces of his former style. Before it was published, he had begun editing a long series of legends and tales, of which the first volume appeared in 1819, and this was followed at various intervals by several others. Though Ingemann was not yet completely emancipated from Hoffman's influence, we still find already in this book more naturalness and freshness, and a more objective treatment