Hans Vilhelm Kaalund

Hans Vilhelm Kaalund Poems

Hans Vilhelm Kaalund Biography

Hans Vilhelm (H. V.) Kaalund 27 June 1818– 27 April 1885 was a Danish lyric poet. Born as the son of a customs officer he spent his childhood at the border district near the walls of Copenhagen. Very early attempts of being an artist were interrupted by a nerve disease but after some various occupations he was at last employed as a teacher of a prison and was able to write besides. First of all Kaalund is known for his Fabler for Børn (“Fables for Children”, 1845), a book of verses about animals. They are no real fables but small snapshots of several kinds of animals, some sentimental, some humorous (most famous is Den dræbte And - “The killed Duck”). Like the fairy tales of H. C. Andersen they testify the rising interest of children and nature in Danish literature and have several times been re-edited Kaalund’s lyrics for adults is collected in two books Et Foraar (”A Spring” - 1858) and En Eftervaar ("An After-Spring" - 1877). Apart from love poetry and political statements they contain a lot of thought lyrics that is perhaps his most important legacy. A very characteristic trace in Kaalund’s poetry is its almost demonstrative commitment to realities. Though a late romanticist himself he again and again stresses the need of building one’s life upon the base of facts – without giving up one’s idealism. It is felt in poems like Jeg elsker den brogede Verden (“I love the colourful World” - 1858) and especially in his often sung Paa det Jevne (“On the Ground” - 1872) that has been both lauded as a typical Danish expression of matter-of-fact attitudes and criticised as a just as typical lack of ambitions. This split makes him a poet of transition between romanticism and realism and his best poems are still quoted.)

The Best Poem Of Hans Vilhelm Kaalund

Abekatten

Ved Havet vandred en Abekat,
da fik han en opskyllet Østers fat.
Han banked paa den af alle Kræfter;
men haard var Skallen, den gav ej efter.
Ej, ej, da tænkte den snilde Abe,
engang maa Østersen dog vel gabe.

Dér sad nu Aben og passed paa,
derinde Østersen søvnig laa.
Nu aabned den sig, da stak han ind,
behændigt, dybt i dens Gab en Pind;
og medens han skilte Skallerne ad,
han sagde: Herr Østers, Tak for Mad!

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