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Frederik Paludan-Muller

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PALUDAN - MULLER, FREDERIK (1809-1876), Danish poet, was the third son cf Jens Paludan-Muller, from 1830 to 1845 bishop of Aarhus, and born at Kjerteminde in Funen, on the 7th of February 1809. In 1819 his father was transferred to Odense, and Frederik began to attend the Latin school there. In 1828 he passed to the university of Copenhagen. In 5832 he opened his poetical career with Four Romances, and a romantic comedy entitled Kjcerlighed ved hoffet (" Love at Court"). This enjoyed a considerable success, and was succeeded in 1833 by Dandserinden (" The Dancing Girl"). Paludan-Muller was accepted by criticism without a struggle, and few writers have excited less hostility than he. He was not, however, well inspired in his lyrical drama of Amor and Psyche in 1834 nor in his Oriental tale of Zuleimas flugt (" Zuleima's Flight") in 1835, in each of which he was too vividly influenced by Byron. But he regained all that he had lost by his two volumes of poems in 1836 and 1838. From 1838 to 1840 Paludan-Muller was making the grand tour in Europe and his genius greatly expanded; in Italy he wrote Venus, a lyrical poem of extreme beauty. In the same year, 1841, he began to publish a great work on which he had long been engaged, and which he did not conclude until 1848; this was Adam Homo, a narrative epic, satirical, modern and descriptive,into which Paludan-Muller wove all his variegated impressions of Denmark and of love. This remains the typical classic of Danish poetical literature. In 1844 he composed three enchanting idylls, Dryadens bryllup (" The Dryad's Wedding") Tithon (" Tithonus") and Abels dod (" The Death of Abel"). From 1850 a certain decline in the poet's physical energy became manifest and he wrote less. His majestic drama of Kalanus belongs to 1854. Then for seven years he kept silence. Paradiset (" Paradise") 1861; and Benedikt fra Nurcia (" Benedict of Nurcia") 1861; bear evidence of malady, both physical and mental. Paludan-Muller wrote considerably after this, but never recovered his early raptures, except in the very latest of all his poems, the enchanting welcome to death, entitled Adonis. The poet lived a very retired life, first in Copenhagen, then for many years in a cottage on the outskirts of the royal park of Fredensborg, and finally in a house in Ny Adelgade, Copenhagen, where he died on the 27th of December 1876. (E. G.)