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Gustaf Fröding
Fröding in 1896.
Fröding in 1896.
Born (1860-08-22)22 August 1860
Alster Mansion, Sweden
Died 8 February 1911(1911-02-08) (aged 50)
Stockholm, Sweden
Language Swedish

Gustaf Fröding (22 August 1860 – 8 February 1911) was a famous Swedish poet and writer. He was born in Alster, a place near Karlstad in Värmland, Sweden. In 1867, his family moved to Kristinehamn. Later, he studied at Uppsala University and worked as a journalist in Karlstad.

Gustaf Fröding's Poetry

Fröding's poems are known for their amazing skill and musical sound. He often wrote about everyday people and those who were overlooked. Sometimes, he even used his own regional dialect in his writing.

His poetry is very musical, which means it's great for singing. Many Swedish singers have turned his poems into songs. Artists like Olle Adolphson, Monica Zetterlund, and the band Mando Diao have recorded his works.

Here is an example of his poetry:

Jag köpte min kärlek för pengar,
för mig var ej annan att få,
sjung vackert, I skorrande strängar,
sjung vackert om kärlek ändå.

Den drömmen, som aldrig besannats,
som dröm var den vacker att få,
för den, som ur Eden förbannats,
är Eden ett Eden ändå.

I purchased my love (how dearly!)
For money — what else could I get?
O jangling strings, sound clearly
The theme of my love-song yet!

For the dream, though the truth were vanished,
Was the princeliest dream I could get,
And for him who from Eden is banished
Is Eden an Eden yet.
—from Gralstänk —Translation by C. D. Locock


Later Life and Health

Fröding and Heidenstam dressed in togas 1896
Gustaf Fröding and Verner von Heidenstam dressed in togas in 1896.

In the later part of his life, Gustaf Fröding faced some health challenges. He spent time in different hospitals to get care for his health, including diabetes.

In the early 1890s, he stayed for a few years at an institution in Lillehammer, Norway. There, he finished his third book of poetry, Stänk och flikar, which came out in 1896. He also wrote some of his material while at a care facility in Görlitz, Germany.

In 1896, he moved back to Sweden. His sister, Cecilia, made the decision for him to stay at a hospital in Uppsala for further care. Under the care of Professor Frey Svenson, Fröding's health improved. A nurse named Signe Trotzig became a close caregiver and stayed with him until he passed away.

A play about Fröding's time in Uppsala, called Sjung vackert om kärlek (Sing Beautifully of Love), was first performed in 1973. It has been shown many times since then.

Selected Works by Fröding

  • Gitarr och dragharmonika (Guitar and concertina) 1891
  • Nya dikter (New poems) 1893
  • Räggler å paschaser (Tall tales and adventures) 1895
  • Stänk och flikar (Splashes and spray) 1896
  • Nytt och gammalt (New and old) 1897
  • Gralstänk (Splashes of the grail) 1898
  • Efterskörd (Gleanings) 1910
  • Reconvalescentia (Convalescence) 1914
  • Samlade skrifter 1-16 (Collected works 1-16) 1917–1922
  • Brev till en ung flicka (Letters to a young girl) 1952
  • Äventyr i Norge (Adventures in Norway) 1963
  • Gustaf Frödings brev, 2 vol. (Gustaf Fröding's letters, 2 vol.) 1981-1982
  • "23 Bojaere"*

Fröding's Works in English

  • Poems 1903
  • Selected Poems 1916
  • Guitar and Concertina 1925
  • Gustaf Fröding: His Life and Poetry 1986
  • Swedes On Love CD 1991
  • The Selected Poems of Gustaf Fröding 1993
  • The Complete Poems of Gustaf Fröding 1997-1999
  • The North! To the North! 2001

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Gustaf Fröding para niños

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