Johan Henric Kellgren facts for kids
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Johan Henrik Kellgren (born December 1, 1751 – died April 20, 1795) was an important Swedish poet and critic. He lived during a time when Sweden had a very active cultural scene. Kellgren was known for his clever poems and for writing about plays and books.
About His Life
Johan Henrik Kellgren was born in Floby, a place in Västergötland, Sweden. Today, this area is part of Falköping Municipality. He went to school at the Royal Academy of Turku. Even when he was young, people knew he was a talented poet. In 1774, he became a "docent" there, which means he taught about aesthetics. Aesthetics is the study of what makes things beautiful, especially in art.
Three years later, in 1777, Kellgren moved to Stockholm, the capital city. In 1778, he started a newspaper called "Stockholms-Posten" with a friend. From 1788, Kellgren was the only editor of this newspaper.
His writing skills were noticed by the king, Gustavus III. In 1780, Kellgren became the king's librarian. Later, in 1785, he became the king's private secretary. This was a very important job. When the Swedish Academy was created in 1786, Kellgren was chosen as one of its first members. The Swedish Academy is a group that works to improve the Swedish language and literature.
Kellgren passed away in Stockholm in 1795.
His Writings and Plays
Kellgren was known for his strong use of satire. Satire is a way of using humor, irony, or exaggeration to make fun of or criticize people's mistakes or foolishness. Because of this, he often got into arguments with other writers. One famous argument was with a critic named Thomas Thorild. Kellgren wrote a poem that made fun of Thorild.
Kellgren's poems were often lyrical, meaning they expressed feelings, or dramatic, meaning they were like plays. He worked with King Gustavus III to create several operas. Operas are plays where most of the words are sung. Kellgren wrote the songs for four operas they made together. These operas included Gustaf Vasa and Drottning Kristina.
Around 1788, Kellgren's poems started to feel more serious. This was partly because he was influenced by other writers like Lessing. It was also likely due to his arguments with Thorild.
Some of his important early poems include a lovely spring song called Vinterns valde lyktar. He also wrote a satirical poem called Mina Löjen, which criticized another songwriter, Carl Michael Bellman.
Later in his life, Kellgren wrote some of his best works. These include the satire Ljusets fiender (Enemies of Light) and a funny poem called Dumboms lefverne. He also wrote a patriotic song for New Year's Day in 1789. One of his most beautiful works is the song Nya skapelsen (The New Creation).
Kellgren's poems are considered some of the best from the Gustavian age in Swedish literature. At first, his writings showed the lighthearted and sometimes doubtful feelings of his time. But as he grew older, his works showed deeper moral feelings and wise thoughts about people. He wrote these ideas in beautiful and musical verses.
See also
- Carl Michael Bellman
- In Spanish: Johan Henric Kellgren para niños
