Page:History of the Literature of the Scandinavian North.djvu/322

304 a fact which has by no means been advantageous to the poetical value of these works, though they contain many passages of great beauty. Björnson's dramas are, generally speaking, marked by excellent delineations of character and by a brilliant diction, while they are frequently lacking in the elaboration of the plot. In a purely artistic sense the drama "Mellem Slagene," a slight, but very effective picture of life in the middle ages, from the stirring times of King Sverre, is probably the best of all. Björnson has written a number of lyric poems of rare beauty, and his epic cycle "Arnljot Gelline" though somewhat discursive, is a most exquisite work.

While Björnson's poetical development, properly speaking, had already reached its climax when his first works appeared, and while none of his later great works have surpassed his first ones in excellence, the merit of the works of (born 1828) has constantly been increasing. He is above all a dramatist, though he has written many lyric poems of exquisite beauty. His first works were historical romantic dramas, which must be looked upon as preliminary studies, though many of them contain passages that are prophetic of the great poetical talent which he was destined to display in so splendid a manner. To this portion of his works belong the dramas "Gildet paa Solhoug " (The banquet at Solhoug), in which the influence of Hertz' play "Svend Dyring's Hus," is very perceptible, "Fru Inger til Östraat," and "Hærmaendene paa Helgeland" (The warriors