New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-11-01
VIKTOR RYDBERG.
A rrrnr.rE TO THE SWEDISH POET FROM SIN
cERE ADMIRER.
New-York. oct. 90, 1853

A TprntTE TO THE SWEDISH POET FROM SlN-
cERE ADMIRER.
To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: Death came and nation mourneu u"
Swe d!sh people. no matter where on inns So
renres,r,tye thereof ives felt the pang OF sincere
gr,,, ,hor :, sen,ember last The information came
OF Professor Rydbergs death by MS s'ea' i'.
work he had so endeared himself TO all that ever!
body admired him. loved him. And wei ne ''
served ii, the admiration and love cNtenue'' ~
only fpf his own personality, when was eN'.
magnetic but for his great Work whicH HiiNs az
epoch in the literature OF his country 'he "o,"
which ust'y and proudly gave him the name OF 'ne
foremost OF all Swedish literary men. Tho"sn ne
lived to the age OF threescore and teh' ne was III"
darling o. the young men and the o'd' A'n'os' a. "
body the students o: Tpsala University s'a"u Wv
tpsaa went to Stockholm 20 pay the last holois -
him and all that was prominent In Inc hationai nv
Of the countr paid with them the last tribute 10 HIS
memory. ~ 49,.
Many wears ago I read a criticism In me New
York Herald" OF one OF Vikior Rydbergs "orhs'
"Ronlan DAYS" in which the critic saiu 'ha' hSu
berg was sculptor in words More true "o'"'
have never been said. because every sentence Nv
wrot. was Jus, as II II had been sculptured his
orrar ov.r his native language was something
rh.nonenal and know only one who among the
great writer's OF Sweden has the honor TO be caieu
tis equal and that is the poet. Stagne.us.
Professor Rviberg began his literary HE as a
newspaper man For years ana years ne 'o"-" '''
a newspaper IN Gothenburg. When the everyday
routine Of work was over he plunged into literary
researches set his poetical fancy at liberty, nnd
nation received his deep. sincere thoughts win Ut
most delight lie worked worked. WORKED ana 'he
literature Of his country can proudly point al "orks
like The Last Athenian" where the Hellenic ne
is go nagnifcentiy described that the people went
49, .cs,ssv over H. and the universities recon-
r.,d.d u TO the students for careful perusaL Inc
novel .'Iineoalia" is a gem Of poetic beauties a
tourney o. Itsly brought forth one Of his master
pieces. "gfoman DAYS" and Tales about ard tn q
Ap o,s,g that Of cioethe's Faust" and .ater
his deep ard thoughtful Researches IN IernIah
~ lecturer at the Stockholm High School. Pro
lessor Rydberg was pronounce s"ece la ON
,hnsiasn~w.nt 80 far that everybody who had the
prys' q listening to h him w BrSp@t no o,
M, profs.sor Rydberg was one OF the few who
years and years ago appreciated ana 20 or,gna
poets and writer's. Edgar Allan Poe In him ne
saw the dawnine lsh, the w9 G"nfnen and he
FASTENED to give to his countrymen transsu9ns Er
some Of Poe goems, neonIs wok up and ex
claimed "a genius" They knew Longfelow vel,
and admired him for his genial expounding OF all
the terrific fire OF passion. the graspng a,ter the
almost sera e purity sey had never
heard Of never knew to exist among me people on
gave o' isem l pos works expressOn ne
Intensity Of human passion and misery the Swedish
and their own poet Nyborn's Niagara Az a
poet viktor Rydberg t. at the front. several
the last one which contains his famous "Grotto
Song" in which he with all his power with al
modern naturalism and the worship. the vulgar
worship az Mammon This poem Is truly Danteic
in he'll and purgatory: Rydberg saw the sunsrings
OF souls In real life under the iron heel OF Nam
mon Fearlessly ne exposed all that was wrong
hut nevertheless he was admired and loved and
hardly believe he had an enemy.
Three nations followed him to his grave In the
cemetery OF Gothenburg foremost among them
Sweden. who mourns the loss OF her greatest ~
erary son. -
New-York oct. 81, 1925.