Björnstjerne Björnson, 1832-1910

The author presents an essayistic biography that traces the subject's career as a powerful literary and public figure who voiced his nation's character, combined poetic sensibility with political engagement, and influenced modern thought. It outlines early successes in peasant idylls that helped shape a national literature, contrasts a sustained national standpoint and enduring lyricism with contemporaries who became more cosmopolitan or prosaic, and describes his role as social critic and moralist. The essay was originally written for a landmark birthday and has been expanded with translations, anecdotes, and commentary on later works.