- Not to be confused with German author Wilhelm Jensen
Wilhelm Hermann Jensen was a German writer and poet.-Biography:Wilhelm Jensen was born at Heiligenhafen in Holstein , the natural son of Swenn Hans Jensen , the Mayor of the city of Kiel, later administrator of the German/Danish island of Sylt, who came of old patrician Frisian stock...
(1837–1911).
Johannes Vilhelm Jensen, in Denmark always called
Johannes V. Jensen, (20 January 1873 – 25 November 1950) was a
DanishDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
author, often considered the first great Danish writer of the 20th century. He was awarded the
Nobel Prize in LiteratureSince 1901, the Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded annually to an author from any country who has, in the words from the will of Alfred Nobel, produced "in the field of literature the most outstanding work in an ideal direction"...
in 1944. One of his sisters,
Thit JensenMaria Kirstine Dorothea Jensen was a Danish novelist, but also author of short stories, plays and society critical articles....
, was also a well-known writer and a very vocal, and occasionally controversial, early feminist.
Early years
He was born in
FarsøFarsø is a town with a population of 3,253 in Region Nordjylland in Denmark in the Vesthimmerland municipality.Until January 1, 2007, Farsø was also a municipality in North Jutland County. The municipality covered an area of 201 km², and had a total population of 7,991 . Its last mayor was...
, a village in North
JutlandJutland , historically also called Cimbria, is the name of the peninsula that juts out in Northern Europe toward the rest of Scandinavia, forming the mainland part of Denmark. It has the North Sea to its west, Kattegat and Skagerrak to its north, the Baltic Sea to its east, and the Danish–German...
, Denmark, as the son of a veterinary surgeon and he grew up in a rural environment. While studying medicine at the
University of CopenhagenThe University of Copenhagen is the oldest and largest university and research institution in Denmark. Founded in 1479, it has more than 37,000 students, the majority of whom are female , and more than 7,000 employees. The university has several campuses located in and around Copenhagen, with the...
he worked as a writer to fund his studies. After 3 years of studying he chose to change careers and devote himself fully to literature.
Literary works
The first phase of his work as an author was influenced by
fin-de-siècle pessimism. His career began with the publication of Himmerland Stories (1898–1910), comprising a series of tales set in the part of Denmark where he was born. During 1900 and 1901 he wrote his first masterpiece,
Kongens Fald (eng. transl. 1933
The Fall of the KingThe Fall of the King is a novel by Danish author Johannes V. Jensen, published in three parts from 1900 to 1901. It tells the story of Mikkel Thøgersen and the social entanglements which bring him into the service of king Christian II of Denmark....
), a modern historical novel centred around King Christian II and his
characteristically Danish hesitancy and failure to act.
In 1906 Jensen created his greatest literary achievement: the collection of verses
Digte 1906 (i.e.
Poems 1906), which introduced the prose poem to Danish literature. He also wrote
poetryPoetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
, a few plays, and many essays, chiefly on
anthropologyAnthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
and the
philosophyPhilosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
of
evolutionEvolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
.
He developed his theories of evolution in a cycle of six
novelA novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
s,
Den lange rejse (1908–22), translated into English as
The Long JourneyThe Long Journey is a series of six novels by Danish author and poet Johannes V. Jensen, written between 1908 and 1922. The books deal with the authors theories on evolution, backdropped against a description of humanity from pre-Ice Age up to the voyage of Christopher Columbus...
(1923–24), which was published in a two-volume edition in 1938. This is often considered his main work in prose, a daring and often impressive attempt to create a Darwinian alternative to the Biblical Genesis myth. In this work we see the development of mankind from the Ice Age to the times of Columbus, focusing on pioneering individuals.
Like his compatriot
Hans Christian AndersenHans Christian Andersen was a Danish author, fairy tale writer, and poet noted for his children's stories. These include "The Steadfast Tin Soldier," "The Snow Queen," "The Little Mermaid," "Thumbelina," "The Little Match Girl," and "The Ugly Duckling."...
, he travelled extensively; a trip to the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
inspired a poem of his, "Paa Memphis Station" [At the train station,
Memphis, TennesseeMemphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
], which is well known in Denmark.
Walt WhitmanWalter "Walt" Whitman was an American poet, essayist and journalist. A humanist, he was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both views in his works. Whitman is among the most influential poets in the American canon, often called the father of free verse...
was among the writers who influenced Jensen.
Late career
Jensen's most popular literary works were all completed before 1920. After this he mostly concentrated on ambitious biological and zoological studies in an effort to create an ethical system based upon Darwinian ideas. He also hoped to renew classical poetry.
For many years he worked in
journalismJournalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
, writing articles and chronicles for the daily press without ever joining the staff of any newspaper.
Legacy
Jensen was a controversial figure in Danish cultural life. He was a reckless
polemicA polemic is a variety of arguments or controversies made against one opinion, doctrine, or person. Other variations of argument are debate and discussion...
ist and his often dubious racial theories have damaged his reputation. However, he never showed any Fascist leanings.
Today Jensen is still considered the father of Danish modernism, particularly in the area of modern poetry with his introduction of the prose poem and his use of a direct and straightforward language. His direct influence was felt as late as the 1960s. Without being a Danish answer to
KiplingJoseph Rudyard Kipling was an English poet, short-story writer, and novelist chiefly remembered for his celebration of British imperialism, tales and poems of British soldiers in India, and his tales for children. Kipling received the 1907 Nobel Prize for Literature...
,
HamsunKnut Hamsun was a Norwegian author, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1920. He was praised by King Haakon VII of Norway as Norway's soul....
or
SandburgCarl Sandburg was an American writer and editor, best known for his poetry. He won three Pulitzer Prizes, two for his poetry and another for a biography of Abraham Lincoln. H. L. Mencken called Carl Sandburg "indubitably an American in every pulse-beat."-Biography:Sandburg was born in Galesburg,...
, he bears comparison to all three authors. He combines the outlook of the regional writer with the view of the modern academic and scientific observer.
In 1999
The Fall of the KingThe Fall of the King is a novel by Danish author Johannes V. Jensen, published in three parts from 1900 to 1901. It tells the story of Mikkel Thøgersen and the social entanglements which bring him into the service of king Christian II of Denmark....
was acclaimed as the best Danish novel of the 20th century.
Literature
- Danskere, 1896
- Einar Elkjær, 1898
- Himmerlandsfolk, 1898
- Intermezzo, 1899
- Kongens Fald, 1900-1901 - The Fall of the King
- Den gotiske renæssance, 1901
- Skovene, 1904
- Nye Himmerlandshistorier, 1904
- Madame d'Ora, 1904
- Hjulet, 1904
- Digte, 1906
- Eksotiske noveller, 1907–15
- Den nye verden, 1907
- Singaporenoveller, 1907
- Myter, 1907–45
- Nye myter, 1908
- Den lange rejse, 1908-22 - The Long Journey - I: Den tabte land, 1919; II: Bræen, 1908; Norne Gæst, 1919; IV: Cimbrernes tog, 1922; V: Skibet, 1912; VI: Christofer Columbus, 1922
- Lille Ahasverus, 1909
- Himmerlandshistorier, Tredje Samling, 1910
- Myter, 1910
- Nordisk ånd, 1911
- Myter, 1912
- Rudyard Kipling, 1912
- Olivia Marianne, 1915
- Introduktion til vor tidsalder, 1915
- Skrifter, 1916 (8 vols.)
- Årbog, 1916, 1917
- Johannes Larsen og hans billeder, 1920
- Sangerinden, 1921
- Den lange rejse, 1922-24 - The Long Journey
- Æstetik og udviking, 1923
- Årstiderne, 1923
- Hamlet, 1924
- Myter, 1924
- Skrifter, 1925 (5 vols.)
- Evolution og moral, 1925
- Årets højtider, 1925
- Verdens lys, 1926
- Jørgine, 1926
- Thorvaldsens portrætbuster, 1926
- Dyrenes forvandling, 1927
- Åndens stadier, 1928
- Ved livets bred, 1928
- Retninger i tiden, 1930
- Den jyske blæst, 1931
- Form og sjæl, 1931
- På danske veje, 1931
- Pisangen, 1932
- Kornmarken, 1932
- Sælernes ø, 1934
- Det blivende, 1934
- Dr. Renaults fristelser, 1935
- Gudrun, 1936
- Darduse, 1937
- Påskebadet, 1937
- Jydske folkelivsmalere, 1937
- Thorvaldsen, 1938
- Nordvejen, 1939
- Fra fristaterne, 1939
- Gutenberg, 1939
- Mariehønen, 1941
- Vor oprindelse, 1941
- Mindets tavle, 1941
- Om sproget og undervisningen, 1942
- Kvinden i sagatiden, 1942
- Folkeslagene i østen, 1943
- Digte 1901-43, 1943
- Møllen, 1943
- Afrika, 1949
- Garden Colonies in Denmark, 1949
- Swift og Oehlenschläger, 1950
- Mytens ring, 1951
- Tilblivelsen, 1951
- The Waving Rye, 1959 (tr. R. Bathgate)
Works in English
- The Long Journey, vol 1-3, (Fire and Ice; The Cimbrians; Christopher Columbus) New York, 1924.
- The Fall of the King, 1933.
External links