Page:History of the Literature of the Scandinavian North.djvu/275

Rh humor. His translation of the first six books of the Odyssey, published in 1825, was the first attempt at a Danish version of Homer. In 1826, he was appointed professor of philosophy in the university at Christiania, and a few years later he returned to Denmark to fill a similar position in the Copenhagen University. While connected with these universities he wrote several excellent philosophical treatises

(1796-1876) was Poul Möller's step-brother, and he was also intellectually related to him. He had already become conspicuous by student songs and by contributions to periodicals, all of which were brimful of exuberant animal spirits, when in 1828 he published his first large collection of poems, a volume which was at once received with signal favor. It contains among other things fine descriptions of popular life, to which compositions he gave the very appropriate name "Wood-cuts." In course of time there followed a large number of lyrical poems and romances, through which he acquired a large circle of friends and admirers. Some of his tales did not become very popular on account of their dismal contents, while others, as for instance, "Ristestenen" (the furrowed stone), "Et Aftenbesog" (an evening visit), and "De to Peblinge" (the two schoolboys), must be ranked as excellent and most delicately sketched genre pictures. Both in his prose and in his verse Winther is a perfect master of style.

In 1855 appeared his chief work, the cycle of romances called  "Hjortens Flugt" (the flight of the stag). The poet transports himself to the time of the Danish middle age, and giving loose reins to his glowing imagination presents to our eyes in ever-changing panoramas a series of most charming and highly colored pictures.

All of Christian Winther's poetical productions are marked by great naturalness in the very best sense of the word. To his cheerful temperament all life is "a merry feast" to which