The Project Gutenberg EBook of Bjoernstjerne Bjoernson, by William Morton Payne

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Title: Bjoernstjerne Bjoernson

Author: William Morton Payne

Posting Date: August 8, 2009 [EBook #4582]
Release Date: October, 2003
First Posted: February 11, 2002

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BJOeRNSTJERNE BJOeRNSON ***

Produced by Nicole Apostola. HTML version by Al Haines.

Bjoernstjerne Bjoernson

1832-1910

by

William Morton Payne, LL.D.

Translator of Bjoernson's "Sigurd Slembe" and Jaeger's "Ibsen," Author
of "Little Leaders," Etc.

To Mary

INTRODUCTORY NOTE

When the date of Bjoernson's seventieth birthday drew near at the close
of 1902, the present writer, who had been from boyhood a devoted
admirer of the great Norwegian, wished to make an American contribution
to the world-wide tribute of gratitude and affection which the then
approaching anniversary was sure to evoke. The outcome of that wish
was an essay, summarizing Bjoernson's life and work, published in "The
International Quarterly," March, 1903. The essay then written forms
the substance of the present publication, although several additions
have been made in the way of translation, anecdote, and the
consideration of Bjoernson's later productions. So small a book as this
is, of course, hopelessly inadequate to make more than the most
superficial sort of survey of the life work of that masterful
personality whose recent death is so heavy a loss to all mankind.

W. M. P.
Chicago, May, 1910.

BJOeRNSTJERNE BJOeRNSON

1832-1910

Eight years ago, taking a bird's-eye view of the mountain peaks of
contemporary literature, and writing with particular reference to
Bjoernson's seventieth birthday, it seemed proper to make the following
remarks about the most famous European authors then numbered among
living men. If one were asked for the name of the greatest man of
letters still living in the world, the possible claimants to the
distinction would hardly be more than five in number. If it were a
question of poetry alone, Swinburne would have to be named first, with
Carducci for a fairly cl