Biography of Bjornstjerne Bjornson

Nature's truth

8 December 1832 26 April 1910 The 8 December 1832 in Kvikne, Norway in Osterdal Valley, comes into the world Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson. Five years later the family moved to Ness, Romsdal, land of great tourist attraction, where his father Peter, evangelical pastor, is assigned the local parish. Here he began his studies to continue, between 1846 and 1849, to a boarding school in Molde. As a teenager, Bjørnstjerne is already animated by great fervor in which he is at the forefront in the struggle for independence of his country and begins to manifest literary vein as much as prose into poetry. He continued his studies in Christiania, where he moved in 1950. In these years he discovers the theater, if you are passionate about and writes his first drama, "Valborg"; also starts a collaboration with the newspaper "Morgenbladet". The two activities I absorb a lot up to induce him to leave school, in 1954: the maturity he has indeed given the awareness of its objectives, to renounce, destroying them, all made up to that point. Print his new life under the motto "nature and truth", short of a new conception of existence which made landfall and which puts the needs of truth to that, more vacuous, about outer beauty. In 1856 Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson part to Sweden where, in Oslo, stays long and writes the drama "Between the battles" ("Mellem slagene"). In Copenhagen, the following year, he met the elder poet Catholic Nicolai Grundtvig and remains influenced by his "Christianity proud". On 29 November is appointed Artistic Director of the national theatre of Bergen, the father of modern drama role just left Henrik Ibsen. Getting back into Christiania, in 1859, he became reporter of "Aftenbladet", founded the "national society" and becomes friends with Ibsen, before flying out, thanks to a scholarship, for Italy. In Rome stops for two years during which writes the historical drama "King Sverre" ("Kong Sverre") and the trilogy "Sigurt the violent" ("Sigurd Slembe") and hones his dramatic art. France and Germany went to Rome. In 1865 Christiania pays homage to Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson with the direction of his theater, a position that leaves the following year to return to journalism and to devote himself to politics which he is intransigent and radical Republican opponent of Sweden and of the monarchy. Between 1873 and 1875 is back to Rome where he composed some lyrics by Italian setting. The discovery of Darwin and his evolution, in 1871, and disappointment for closing positions of the Church towards democratic freedoms shall determine in him, in the second half of the years ' 70, a religious crisis that pushes towards rationalism by appearing in his literary activity realistic elements. Belong to this stage "failure", in 1875; "The King" ("Kongen"), in 1877, and "the new system" in 1878. In 1880 part to America where he held a series of lectures. Meanwhile, political commitment continues until birth, in 1903, a left-wing Government. In the same year Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson received the prestigious Nobel Prize in literature, as "a tribute to his noble, magnificent and versatile poetry, which has always stood for the clarity of his inspiration and the rare purity of his spirit". Among his most recent works include, in 1909, the patriotic song "When it blooms on new wine" ("Naar den ny vin blomstrer"). He died in Paris on April 26, 1910, at 78 years. His pioneering activities in the lyric, in prose and in the theater, he made a point of reference for many writers, such as Knut Hamsun, Selma Lagerlöf, Johannes v. Jensen. Among other works by Bjørnson are: "the farm of the Sun", (1857), "Hulda the lame" (1858), "A cheerful boy" (1860), "Novelette" (1860), "Fisherman's daughter" (1868), "the reporter" (1875), "Leonarda" (1879), "Dust" (1882), "beyond human strength" (1883), "flags of the city and harbour" (1884), "the ways of God" (1889), "one glove" (1893).

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