Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1932-12-15
University President Eulogizes
Famous Norwegian Poet, Leader

ers. There was Vinje, later distin-
guished as a poet, already beginning
to be known as a critic; Henrik ID
sen, pale and intense as he reflected
on the problems he was already be-
ginning to express in the drama;
Bjornson, tall and angular. irrepressi-
bly, critical of nearly everything.
Bjornson did not distinguish HIM
self as a university student and yet
he continued his work until he took
his examination in arts. He was more
or less impatient as a student, possess
sing independent judgment, and yet
his bold, straightforward and gen.
eral disposition won for him many
friends and comrades. Even during
his university career and Immediately
following it, he began his literary
work much to the disappointment Of
his parents, who were anxious for him
to become a clergyman.
/ shall not undertake to trace the
history of his literary endeavors. Pro-
fessor Bothne will be able to speak
to you in your own language more at
length upon this subject. 1t is a
fact, however. that Bjornson's sagas.
his problem plays. and his lyric
poetry rank among the best that hui
man genius has produced. So clearly
was this recognized that the Norwe-
gian government granted him an an
nuity Of approximately $500 in order
that he might continue his produc-
tive writing.
Overcame Early Handbags.
am most interested in the evolution
of Bjornson's spirit from the narrow.
provincial views which he possessed
when he came out of the upland re-
gions where his youth was spent to the
cosmopolitan and vigorous world
character he developed with age and
maturity. This transformation did
not take place in a day. One cannot
read the story of his life without
being impressed with the struggle of
the man to overcome the limitations
of his early surroundings and his
corresponding growth in Intellectual
stature, breadth of outlook, and CO.'S
mopolitanism.
From the very earliest, Bjornson
sympathized with the individual or
the class that was struggling to at
tain higher levels or a new freedom.
AS time passed, it was clear that he
conceived human liberty for the indi-
vidual or the nation as something
which should be acquired through UNI
derstanding, agreement, knowledge
of the forces involved in the situa-
ton, rather than by coercion.
Throughout his entire life. both in his
public actions and in his private life.
he had an unmitigated passion for
truth and a consuming desire to learn
and to describe to others the forces
that should bind men together
through understanding and love.
1t is possible that his contact with
the peasants of the neighborhood in
which he grew up and the struggle
which he found the Norwegian people
engaged in to attain their independ-
ence, were largely responsible for his
great faith in democracy. 1t was his
profound opinion that the democracy
of his country should be controlled by
an informed people who were willing
to stand for things that were right
rather than for things that the world
held expedient. This characteristic
of Bjornson's was misunderstood by
many citizens of Norway. He was not
free from criticism. He was reviled
and rebuked and even almost ban
ished from his own country, at the
very time that his poems were being
translated into national songs.
Wanted Country Right Always.
While the national spirit of his
country was struggling upward to new
levels, which called for new respon-
sibilities on the part of the people,
and as tt; new national spirit was
seeking recognition from the other
nations of the earth, Norway was fac