Steen Steensen Blicher (11 October 1782, Vium – 26 March 1848 in

Spentrup Spentrup is a town in East Jutland, with a population of 2,342 (1 January 2025),author In legal discourse, an author is the creator of an original work that has been published, whether that work exists in written, graphic, visual, or recorded form. The act of creating such a work is referred to as authorship. Therefore, a sculpt ...

and

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator (thought, thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral t ...

born in Vium near Viborg,

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

Biography

Blicher was the son of a literarily inclined

Jutland Jutland (; , ''Jyske Halvø'' or ''Cimbriske Halvø''; , ''Kimbrische Halbinsel'' or ''Jütische Halbinsel'') is a peninsula of Northern Europe that forms the continental portion of Denmark and part of northern Germany (Schleswig-Holstein). It ...

ic parson whose family was distantly related to

Martin Luther Martin Luther ( ; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, Theology, theologian, author, hymnwriter, professor, and former Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinian friar. Luther was the seminal figure of the Reformation, Pr ...

. He grew up in close contact with nature and peasant life in the moor areas of central

. After trying his hand as a teacher and a tenant farmer, he at last became a parson like his father and from 1825-1847 served in the parish of

Spentrup Spentrup is a town in East Jutland, with a population of 2,342 (1 January 2025),Ernestine Juliane Berg, whom he married on 11 June 1810.

Significance as a writer

Prose

Blicher is known as the pioneer of the

short story A short story is a piece of prose fiction. It can typically be read in a single sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the old ...

in Danish. From the 1820s until his death he wrote several tales that were published in local periodicals (mostly dealing with his home region), as well as historical and amateur scientific sketches. Much of this work is entertainment but as many as twenty or thirty pieces have been called literary masterpieces. In his prose, Blicher describes human fate in his home region in Jutland. Blicher is often called a tragic and melancholic writer, but he is not without wit and humour. Blicher is one of the first novelists to make significant use of the

unreliable narrator In literature, film, and other such arts, an unreliable narrator is a narrator who cannot be trusted, one whose credibility is compromised. They can be found in a wide range from children to mature characters. While unreliable narrators are al ...

theme in

literature Literature is any collection of Writing, written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially novels, Play (theatre), plays, and poetry, poems. It includes both print and Electroni ...

. Four notable examples are: *''The Diary of a Parish Clerk'', his break-through story, tells of a poor peasant boy’s troubled life with unhappy love, war and exile. Years after the main

plot Plot or Plotting may refer to: Art, media and entertainment * Plot (narrative), the connected story elements of a piece of fiction Music * ''The Plot'' (album), a 1976 album by jazz trumpeter Enrico Rava * The Plot (band), a band formed in 2003 ...

occurred, he discovers that the woman he was in love with for years, ended up as a poor, pathetic

alcoholic Alcoholism is the continued drinking of alcohol despite it causing problems. Some definitions require evidence of dependence and withdrawal. Problematic use of alcohol has been mentioned in the earliest historical records. The World Hea ...

. He spent his old age in resignation and distrust. *His sombre story ''The

Hosier Hosiery, (, ) also referred to as legwear, describes garments worn directly on the feet and legs. The term originated as the collective term for products of which a maker or seller is termed a hosier; and those products are also known generically ...

and his Daughter'' (twice filmed) that describes the mental breakdown of a girl because of unhappy love is a classic prose tragedy. *'' The Parson of Veilbye'', written in the first person, is the first Danish crime novel. The narrator makes fatal wrong conclusions resulting in a wrongful conviction. It too has been filmed. *''Tardy Awakening'', a tragedy of adultery and suicide, is perhaps influenced by the fact, that he in 1828 found out that his wife had a love affair. He had additional talents, too: ''E Bindstouw'' is a mixture of tales and poetry on the model of the

Decameron ''The Decameron'' (; or ''Decamerone'' ), subtitled ''Prince Galehaut'' (Old ) and sometimes nicknamed ''l'Umana commedia'' ("the Human comedy", as it was Boccaccio that dubbed Dante Alighieri's ''Comedy'' "''Divine''"), is a collection of ...

, written in the

Jutlandic Jutlandic, or Jutish (Danish: ''jysk''; ), is the western variety of Danish, spoken on the peninsula of Jutland in Denmark. Generally, Jutlandic can be divided into two different dialects: general or Northern Jutlandic (; further divided into ...

dialect. Here he turns loose his humorous side. Earlier reviews noted that Blicher’s literary skill lies in his descriptions of scenery, especially the Jutlandic moor landscape and its inhabitants: the long-suffering peasantry and “free” moor

gypsies {{Infobox ethnic group , group = Romani people , image = , image_caption = , flag = Roma flag.svg , flag_caption = Romani flag created in 1933 and accepted at the 1971 World Romani Congress , ...

. Later some biographies pointed out his skills in describing

tragedy A tragedy is a genre of drama based on human suffering and, mainly, the terrible or sorrowful events that befall a tragic hero, main character or cast of characters. Traditionally, the intention of tragedy is to invoke an accompanying catharsi ...

and

psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Its subject matter includes the behavior of humans and nonhumans, both consciousness, conscious and Unconscious mind, unconscious phenomena, and mental processes such as thoughts, feel ...

. Stylistically, Blicher alternates between his own detailed intellectual narrative style and the colloquial speech of peasants, squires and robbers.

Poetry

Blicher wrote poetry from the years of the

Napoleonic Wars {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Napoleonic Wars , partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg , caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...

until his death. Among his most important poems are the melancholic ''Til Glæden'' (“To Joy”) from 1814, his interesting local patriotic song ''"Kærest du Fødeland"'' (Dearest You Birthland) that shows his love for his home region, and his impressive winter poem ''"Det er hvidt herude"'' (It is white out here), published in his notable poetry collection ''"Trækfuglene"'' (Birds of Passage) in 1838. The whole collection ''"Trækfuglene"'' was inspired by a serious extended illness. In this uncharacteristic poetry work, he let a range of symbolic birds express his own personal situation. The bluff and cheerful dialect poem ''Jyden han æ stærk å sej'' ("The Jutlander he is strong and tough") is from 1841. Many of Blichers poems have been accompanied by melodies later on. Notable examples includes ''"Det er hvidt herude"'' often sung to a melody composed by

Thomas Laub Thomas Linnemann Laub (5 December 1852 – 4 February 1927) was a Denmark, Danish organist and composer. He was associated with the 20th century revival of religious music in the country. Biography Thomas Laub was born on 5 December 1852. W ...

in 1914 and ''"Sig nærmer tiden, da jeg må væk"'' (The time approaches when I must go) sung to a melody composed by

Oluf Ring Oluf Ring (24 December 1884-26 April 1946) was a Danish composer, known for his folk music work. He composed around 300 melodies, as well as one opera, and was affiliated with prominent Danish composer Carl Nielsen. Biography Ring was born 24 ...

in 1922, both from ''"Trækfuglene"''.

Political and social themes

Blicher was a man of far-ranging interests. Beginning as a conservative he developed into an eager critic of society, uniting the role of the enlightened citizen of the 18th century with modern

liberalism Liberalism is a Political philosophy, political and moral philosophy based on the Individual rights, rights of the individual, liberty, consent of the governed, political equality, the right to private property, and equality before the law. ...

. He tried to arrange national feasts in Jutland and proposed numerous laws and reforms, but he was never really accepted by the established liberal politicians. Also something of an

Anglophile An Anglophile is a person who admires or loves England, its people, its culture, its language, and/or its various accents. In some cases, Anglophilia refers to an individual's appreciation of English history and traditional English cultural ico ...

, he translated British poetry, including Macpherson’s

Ossian Ossian (; Irish Gaelic/Scottish Gaelic: ''Oisean'') is the narrator and purported author of a cycle of epic poems published by the Scottish poet James Macpherson, originally as ''Fingal'' (1761) and ''Temora (poem), Temora'' (1763), and later c ...

and novels such as

Goldsmith A goldsmith is a Metalworking, metalworker who specializes in working with gold and other precious metals. Modern goldsmiths mainly specialize in jewelry-making but historically, they have also made cutlery, silverware, platter (dishware), plat ...

’s ''

The Vicar of Wakefield ''The Vicar of Wakefield: A Tale, Supposed to Be Written by Himself'' is a 1766 novel by Anglo-Irish writer Oliver Goldsmith (1728–1774). It was written from 1761 to 1762 and published in 1766. It was one of the most popular and widely read 18 ...

'' – once he even tried to write poetry in English. Though being a member of the first

Romanticist Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century. The purpose of the movement was to advocate for the importance of subjec ...

generation of Danish writers, Blicher is in many ways unique. He is more of a realist, dealing with broken dreams and with Time as man’s superior opponent.Baggesen (1965) His religion is the old rationalist one. He is a belated Danish pupil of the 18th century English

epistolary Epistolary means "relating to an epistle or letter". It may refer to: * Epistolary (), a Christian liturgical book containing set readings for church services from the New Testament Epistles * Epistolary novel, a novel written as a series of lette ...

style while, in his interest for dialect and peasants, he anticipates the regional writers who emerged around 1900, such as

Johannes Vilhelm Jensen Johannes Vilhelm Jensen (; 20 January 1873 – 25 November 1950) was a Danish author, known as one of the great Danish writers of the first half of 20th century. He was awarded the 1944 Nobel Prize in Literature "for the rare strength and ferti ...

Present-day appreciation

Today Blicher is regarded as the pioneer of the Danish short story and regional writing. Many of his verses have been set to music and his best novels have been reprinted many times. Steen Steensen Blicher never enjoyed international interest on the scale of

Hans Christian Andersen Hans Christian Andersen ( , ; 2 April 1805 – 4 August 1875) was a Danish author. Although a prolific writer of plays, travelogue (literature), travelogues, novels, and poems, he is best remembered for his literary fairy tales. Andersen's fai ...

Karen Blixen Baroness Karen Christentze von Blixen-Finecke (born Dinesen; 17 April 1885 – 7 September 1962) was a Danish author who wrote in Danish and English. She is also known under her pen names Isak Dinesen, used in English-speaking countries; Ta ...

, but in Denmark he is almost as well-known. In 2006, his novel ''Præsten i Vejlbye'' was adopted in the

Danish Culture Canon The Danish Culture Canon () consists of 108 works of cultural excellence in eight categories: architecture, visual arts, design, design and crafts, film, literature, music, performing arts, and children's culture. An initiative of Brian Mikkelsen i ...

, which means, officially one of the 10

Order of Merit The Order of Merit () is an order of merit for the Commonwealth realms, recognising distinguished service in the armed forces, science, art, literature, or the promotion of culture. Established in 1902 by Edward VII, admission into the order r ...

novels in Danish literature of all time. In Denmark, Blicher enjoyed fame and recognition in his own lifetime, and has been praised for his contributions to Danish culture ever since. In 1951, literary scholars initiated the Danish Blicher Society to "further and deepen the interest for Blichers life and writings", through various activities. They have awarded Blicherprisen (The Blicher Prize) annually since 1955 and the society is still active as of 2018.

Works

* ''Brudstykker af en Landsbydegns Dagbog'' (1824, novella, "Diary of a Parish Clerk") *''Sneklokken'' (1825, poetry, "The Snow Bell") *''Røverstuen'' (1827, novella, "The Robber’s Den") *''Ak! hvor forandret'' (1828, novella, "Alas how changed") *''Sildig Opvaagnen'' (1828, novella, "Tardy Awakening") *'' Præsten i Vejlby'' (1829, novella, ''

The Rector of Veilbye ''The Rector of Veilbye'' () is a crime mystery written in 1829 by the Danish author Steen Steensen Blicher. The novella is based upon a true murder case from 1626 in the village of Vejlby near Grenå, Denmark, which Blicher knew partly from ...

'') *''Kjeltringliv'' (1829, novella, "Gypsy Life") *''Telse'' (1829, novella) *''Hosekræmmeren'' (1829, novella, "The Hosier and his Daughter") *''Trækfuglene'' (1838, poetry, "Birds of Passage") *''De tre Helligaftener'' (1841 and 1846, novella, "Three Holliday Eves") *''E Bindstouw, Fortællinger og Digte i jydske Mundarter'' (1842, novella-poetry, dialect)

Blicher's works in English

* ''The Diary of a Parish Clerk and Other Stories''. Pref. by Erik Harbo, introd. by

Margaret Drabble Dame Margaret Drabble, Lady Holroyd, (born 5 June 1939) is an English biographer, novelist and short story writer. Drabble's books include '' The Millstone'' (1965), which won the following year's John Llewellyn Rhys Memorial Prize, and '' Je ...

, transl. by Paula Hostrup-Jessen.

Athlone Press The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degre ...

(1996) * ''Tardy Awakening and Other Stories'', ed. with afterword and comment. by Niels Ingwersen, transl. by Paula Brugge & Faith Ingwersen. University of Wisconsin (WITS II vol.#7, 1996).

References

Sources

* Brix, Hans: ''Steen Steensen Blicher'' (in: The American Scandinavian Review Vol. 15. 1928, Number 10 October) * Baggesen, Søren: Den blicherske novelle, Odense Universitetsforlag 1965 * Sørensen, Knud: ''Steen Steensen Blicher. Digter og samfundsborger. En illustreret biografi.'' Cph. 1984. * Aakjær, Jeppe: Steen Steensen Blichers Livs-Tragedie i Breve og Aktstykker, bind 1–2 (Nordisk Forlag 1904)

External links

The Danish Blicher Society
The society's official homepage. English available.
Steen Steensen Blicher
at Kalliope
Steen Steensen Blicher
at Danish

Wikisource Wikisource is an online wiki-based digital library of free-content source text, textual sources operated by the Wikimedia Foundation. Wikisource is the name of the project as a whole; it is also the name for each instance of that project, one f ...

Steen Steensen Blicher
at the Lied and Art Song Archive * * *
''Twelve Stories''
introd. by

Sigrid Undset Sigrid Undset (; 20 May 1882 – 10 June 1949) was a Danish people, Danish-born Norwegian people, Norwegian novelist. She was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, Nobel Prize for Literature in 1928 Nobel Prize in Literature, 1928. Born in Den ...

, transl. by Hanna Astrup Larsen
Biography by Baggesen at The Archive of Danish Literature (Online in Danish)

S.S. Blicher's Autobiography at The Archive of Danish Literature (Online in Danish)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blicher, Steen Steensen Danish male poets 1782 births 1848 deaths 19th-century Danish poets 19th-century Danish male writers 19th-century Danish clergy 19th-century Danish farmers