GUSTAV FRÖDING.
VALLARELÅT.
The musical quality of Fröding's verse is well exemplified in this pastoral, the mellifluous diction of which has been rarely matched in poetic literature. The Swedish Anthology of Dr. Charles Wharton Stork (American-Scandinavian Foundation, 1917) contains able renderings into English of this and numerous other gems of modern Swedish verse. The volume will be found a great aid to the student who aspires to idealistic appreciation.
2. The song goes reverberating from hill to hill until the sound is finally lost,—such is the sense of this figurative line.
17. tjärnet, irregular neuter, probably the provincial form.
JONTE OCH BRUNTE.
The vernacular words and forms interwoven in the rhymes, as tölas (9), Jonten (30), skjutgammal (38), drumlade (45), stracklade (47), add not a little to the bizarre humor of the rustic picture.
15, 17. The true colloquial use of the pronoun with its antecedent is here shown. So also in Vallarelåt, line 3.
33-35. The lines probably refer to the driver, but if he is mentally paying his respects to the old nag, the quotation which follows is a retort in kind, lending savor to the situation.
Ur STRÖVTÅG I HEMBYGDEN.
7. var mig hälsad! presents an old construction with the dative (ethical dative) which is now obsolescent. Cf. Vol. I., STAGNELITUS, Flyttfåglarna, 45, note.
17-20. See beginning of Fröding monograph.
24. Alsterns dal, cf., in monograph, Alsters bruk, the birthplace of the poet.
Ur BIBLISKA FANTASIER.
Hosiannah!
A song in imitation of old Biblical style, hence the archaisms, görer (gören), statt (stå), ärones (ärans), låter (låten).
MlN STJÄRNAS SÅNGER.
The keynote of Fröding's psychological poems is probably struck in this series of songs, forming an allegory in which the figure is consistently maintained throughout. The Star Songs undoubtedly throw light upon Fröding's philosophy of life and his personal attitude towards the Creator of life. A comparison of TegnÊér's Sång till solen (Vol. I., p. 64) and Fröding's Min stjärnas sånger yields the impression that the former is an impersonal, objective poetic pean, the latter a poet's creed.
9. av din egen art, of the same kind as yours, i.e., the sunspots.
19. så = såväl,
41 ff. A study of Fröding's mental make-up is essential to a correct understanding of the metaphysical stanzas of part IV in particular.