Carl David af Wirsén
Encyclopedia
Carl David af Wirsén was a Swedish
poet, literary critic and the Swedish Academy
's permanent secretary from 1884-1912.
, Upland
, to Karl Ture af Wirsén and Eleonore von Schulzenheim.
He was also for several years, in company with the historian Hans Forssell
, editor of the Swedish Literary Review.
In 1870, he became a lecturer in Swedish
and Latin
at Katedralskolan
in Uppsala
.
In 1876 he moved to Gothenburg
, where he lectured and took care of the museum's library and art collections.
In 1879 he succeeded Carl Wilhelm Böttiger to the seat 8 of the Swedish Academy , and moved the year after to Stockholm
, where he became literary reviewer for the Post- och Inrikes Tidningar
, and in 1886 also for the magazine Vårt Land
(our country).
In November 1884 he was appointed permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy. One of his tasks was to direct the work with "fixation of spelling" and the Academy's dictionary. The former work resulted in Svenska Akademiens ordlista
(The Swedish Academy's dictionary), where the modern spelling was represented, in spite of af Wirséns's opposition. Together with Theodor Wisén and Esaias Tegnér, Jr., he tried to obstruct the publication. In December 1883, he was appointed member of the hymn book committee of the Church of Sweden
, which got the task of "preparing, with discretion, a new proposal for hymnbook". The result was the edition of 1889. He was appointed member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
in 1905.
, for whom he wroteSång till minne af konung Carl XV ("Song commemorating king Charles XV"). After several romantic poems in the monthly Nu, he published his first collection Dikter (poems) in 1876. It was followed by other collections of poetry. His Christian faith was expressed in several ways in his works, including a number of hymns and spiritual poems.
As a critic, Wirsén found a hearing among many educated men, but not much connection with the young literature, and he has become notorious for his many negative reviews of August Strindberg
, Verner von Heidenstam
, Selma Lagerlöf
, Henrik Ibsen
and many others. His central position as permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy - the institution which started to award the Nobel prize of literature in 1901 - also gave him considerable influence on the choice of laureate in the first years; for instance, he was long able to exclude Selma Lagerlöf from the award, by year after year persuading a majority of the Academy members to vote for alternative candidates, often nominated by himself.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
poet, literary critic and the Swedish Academy
Swedish Academy
The Swedish Academy , founded in 1786 by King Gustav III, is one of the Royal Academies of Sweden.-History:The Swedish Academy was founded in 1786 by King Gustav III. Modelled after the Académie française, it has 18 members. The motto of the Academy is "Talent and Taste"...
's permanent secretary from 1884-1912.
Career
Wirsén was born in VallentunaVallentuna
Vallentuna is a bimunicipal locality and the seat of Vallentuna Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden with 26,500 inhabitants in 2005. It stretches over two municipalities in Stockholm County, in the Roslagen region. Vallentuna is also a suburb of Stockholm...
, Upland
Upland
Upland may refer to:*Highland , an area of higher land*Upland Place namesIn Germany:*Upland - mountain range in the state of Hesse.In Sweden:*Uppland, a province of Sweden In the United States:...
, to Karl Ture af Wirsén and Eleonore von Schulzenheim.
He was also for several years, in company with the historian Hans Forssell
Hans Forssell
Hans Ludvig Forssell was a Swedish historian and political writer.Hans Forssell was born at Gävle, Gästrikland, where his father, the clergyman Carl Adolf Forssell, taught in the gymnasium...
, editor of the Swedish Literary Review.
In 1870, he became a lecturer in Swedish
Swedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
and Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
at Katedralskolan
Katedralskolan, Uppsala
Katedralskolan is a school in Uppsala, Sweden. The school was established in 1246...
in Uppsala
Uppsala
- Economy :Today Uppsala is well established in medical research and recognized for its leading position in biotechnology.*Abbott Medical Optics *GE Healthcare*Pfizer *Phadia, an offshoot of Pharmacia*Fresenius*Q-Med...
.
In 1876 he moved to Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
, where he lectured and took care of the museum's library and art collections.
In 1879 he succeeded Carl Wilhelm Böttiger to the seat 8 of the Swedish Academy , and moved the year after to Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, where he became literary reviewer for the Post- och Inrikes Tidningar
Post- och Inrikes Tidningar
-External links:* ***...
, and in 1886 also for the magazine Vårt Land
Vårt Land
Vårt Land means "Our Country" in Swedish and Norwegian.* Vårt Land is the Swedish language title of the national anthem of Finland, originally a poem by Runeberg...
(our country).
In November 1884 he was appointed permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy. One of his tasks was to direct the work with "fixation of spelling" and the Academy's dictionary. The former work resulted in Svenska Akademiens ordlista
Svenska Akademiens Ordlista
Svenska Akademiens ordlista, or SAOL for short, is a dictionary published every few years by the Swedish Academy. It is a single volume that is considered the final arbiter of Swedish spelling...
(The Swedish Academy's dictionary), where the modern spelling was represented, in spite of af Wirséns's opposition. Together with Theodor Wisén and Esaias Tegnér, Jr., he tried to obstruct the publication. In December 1883, he was appointed member of the hymn book committee of the Church of Sweden
Church of Sweden
The Church of Sweden is the largest Christian church in Sweden. The church professes the Lutheran faith and is a member of the Porvoo Communion. With 6,589,769 baptized members, it is the largest Lutheran church in the world, although combined, there are more Lutherans in the member churches of...
, which got the task of "preparing, with discretion, a new proposal for hymnbook". The result was the edition of 1889. He was appointed member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences or Kungliga Vetenskapsakademien is one of the Royal Academies of Sweden. The Academy is an independent, non-governmental scientific organization which acts to promote the sciences, primarily the natural sciences and mathematics.The Academy was founded on 2...
in 1905.
Poetry
Wirsén made his debut as a poet under the signature Kuno, first in the student's calendar Isblomman (1861) and in Namnlösa sällskapet's first publication Sånger och berättelser af nio signaturer ("Songs and tales by nine signatures", 1863). After that, it lasted until the mourning memorial in Uppsala in 1872 after the death of king Charles XV of SwedenCharles XV of Sweden
Charles XV & IV also Carl ; Swedish and Norwegian: Karl was King of Sweden and Norway from 1859 until his death....
, for whom he wroteSång till minne af konung Carl XV ("Song commemorating king Charles XV"). After several romantic poems in the monthly Nu, he published his first collection Dikter (poems) in 1876. It was followed by other collections of poetry. His Christian faith was expressed in several ways in his works, including a number of hymns and spiritual poems.
Criticism
Af Wirsen's conservative views and an abundant publication of his literary criticism made him well-known but also provoked opposition, sometimes in harsh words, by his opponents, who represented new ideas with spelling reform and a freer style. According to his view, "the task of poetry is to discover the absolute, supersensual content, which is the foundation of the phenomena of the material world. The calling of the poet is a priesthood of light, he should in poetry reveal a higher world of purity and peace..."As a critic, Wirsén found a hearing among many educated men, but not much connection with the young literature, and he has become notorious for his many negative reviews of August Strindberg
August Strindberg
Johan August Strindberg was a Swedish playwright, novelist, poet, essayist and painter. A prolific writer who often drew directly on his personal experience, Strindberg's career spanned four decades, during which time he wrote over 60 plays and more than 30 works of fiction, autobiography,...
, Verner von Heidenstam
Verner von Heidenstam
Carl Gustaf Verner von Heidenstam was a Swedish poet and novelist, a laureate of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1916. He was a member of the Swedish Academy from 1912...
, Selma Lagerlöf
Selma Lagerlöf
Selma Ottilia Lovisa Lagerlöf was a Swedish author. She was the first female writer to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, and most widely known for her children's book Nils Holgerssons underbara resa genom Sverige ....
, Henrik Ibsen
Henrik Ibsen
Henrik Ibsen was a major 19th-century Norwegian playwright, theatre director, and poet. He is often referred to as "the father of prose drama" and is one of the founders of Modernism in the theatre...
and many others. His central position as permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy - the institution which started to award the Nobel prize of literature in 1901 - also gave him considerable influence on the choice of laureate in the first years; for instance, he was long able to exclude Selma Lagerlöf from the award, by year after year persuading a majority of the Academy members to vote for alternative candidates, often nominated by himself.
Poetry
- Dikter (Poems), first collection (1876)
- Nya dikter (New poems), second collection (1880)
- Sånger och bilder (Songs and images) (1884)
- Vintergrönt (Winter green) (1890)
- Toner och sägner (1893)
- Under furor och cypresser (1896), med dikter som Spinoza, Septemberdag vid Bellmans byst
- Visor, romanser och ballader (1899)
Historical literature biographies
- Inträdestal i Svenska akademien över (sin företrädare) C.W. Böttiger (1880)
- Minne av riksmarskalken greve Johan Gabriel OxenstiernaJohan Gabriel OxenstiernaCount Johan Gabriel Oxenstierna was a Swedish poet, politician, diplomat and member of the Swedish Academy, holding seat number 8. He was a prominent courtier at the court of king Gustav III of Sweden and is considered one of the foremost poets of the Gustavian period. He was a member of the...
(1885) - Minne av biskopen doktor Frans Michael FranzénFrans Michael FranzénFrans Michael Franzén was a Swedish and Finnish poet.-Biography:Franzén was born in Oulu , Northern Ostrobothnia, Finland, which at the time was an integral part of Sweden. At thirteen he entered the Royal Academy of Turku, where he attended the lectures of Henrik Gabriel Porthan , a pioneer in...
(1886) - Minne av skalden Karl August NicanderKarl August NicanderKarl August Nicander is a Swedish lyric poet.-Bibliography:*Runesvärdet *Fosterlandskänslan *Dikter *Dikter *Markus Botzaris *Tassos död...
(1886) - Minne av friherre Bernhard von BeskowBernhard von BeskowBernhard von Beskow , Swedish dramatist and historian, was the son of a Stockholm merchant....
(1897) - Minnesruna över professor A.J. Ångström (1875)
Hymns
- En vänlig grönskas rika dräkt (1986) written in 1889
- Det går ett tyst och tåligt lamm (1921)
- Det är så tyst, han kämpat ut (Sånger och psalmer 1951) written in 1889.
- Herren är tillstädes (Kyrklig sång 1928 nr 25 b.)
- I livets bok, o Fader, skriv (1921)
- Jag nu den säkra grunden vunnit (1921)
- Nu dagen är till ända (1986)
Hymn books
- Andliga Sånger (1898), samlingsverk.
- Från Betlehem till Golgata (1882), andliga sånger
- Vid juletid (1887), psalmer
- I livets vår (1888)
- Kristna högtids- och helgdagar (1889), sånger och psalmer
Misc
- Studier rörande reformerna inom den franska vitterheten under sextonde och nittonde seklen (Studies concerning the reforms in the French literature of the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries) (1868)
- Utgav och skrev en biografisk inledning till E. Björcks "Valda dikter" (1869)
- Inledning till D. Klockhoffs "Efterlemnade skrifter" (1871).
- Prolog vid sällskapsspektaklet till förmån för skandinavisk-etnografiska samlingen (1879)
- Vid tvåhundraårsfesten till CalderonPedro Calderón de la BarcaPedro Calderón de la Barca y Barreda González de Henao Ruiz de Blasco y Riaño usually referred as Pedro Calderón de la Barca , was a dramatist, poet and writer of the Spanish Golden Age. During certain periods of his life he was also a soldier and a Roman Catholic priest...
s minne (1881) - Sång över Esaias Tegnér (1882)
- Rafael (1883)
- Sång vid Svenska akademiens hundraårsfest (1886)
- Claes Livijn, ett självständigt bidrag till forskningen över Nya skolan.
External links
- Runenberg
- "Violent Debate in the Academy When Lagerlöf Was Elected", article in the daily Swedish newspaper Svenska DagbladetSvenska DagbladetSvenska Dagbladet is a daily newspaper in Sweden. The first issue appeared on 18 December 1884. Svenska Dagbladet is published in Stockholm and provides coverage of national and international news as well as local coverage of the Greater Stockholm region...
.