(eBook PDF) Creating a Mentoring Program

Mentoring Partnerships download

https://ebookluna.com/product/ebook-pdf-creating-a-mentoring-
program-mentoring-partnerships/

Download more ebook from https://ebookluna.com

 We believe these products will be a great fit for you. Click
the link to download now, or visit ebookluna.com
to discover even more!

(eBook PDF) Mentoring in Nursing: A Dynamic and Collaborative Process 2nd

Edition

https://ebookluna.com/product/ebook-pdf-mentoring-in-nursing-a-dynamic-and-
collaborative-process-2nd-edition/

Startup Program Design: A Practical Guide for Creating Corporate

Accelerators and Incubators 1st Edition- eBook PDF

https://ebookluna.com/download/startup-program-design-a-practical-guide-
for-creating-corporate-accelerators-and-incubators-ebook-pdf/

(eBook PDF) Translational Medicine in CNS Drug Development, Volume 29

https://ebookluna.com/product/ebook-pdf-translational-medicine-in-cns-drug-
development-volume-29/

Progress in Heterocyclic Chemistry Volume 29 1st Edition - eBook PDF

https://ebookluna.com/download/progress-in-heterocyclic-chemistry-ebook-
pdf/
(eBook PDF) Program Evaluation: Embedding Evaluation into Program Design
and Development

https://ebookluna.com/product/ebook-pdf-program-evaluation-embedding-
evaluation-into-program-design-and-development/

(eBook PDF) Selling: Building Partnerships 9th Edition

https://ebookluna.com/product/ebook-pdf-selling-building-partnerships-9th-
edition/

(eBook PDF) Selling: Building Partnerships 10th Edition

https://ebookluna.com/product/ebook-pdf-selling-building-partnerships-10th-
edition/

(eBook PDF) Small Business Management: Creating a Sustainable Competitive

Advantage 7th Edition

https://ebookluna.com/product/ebook-pdf-small-business-management-creating-
a-sustainable-competitive-advantage-7th-edition/

(eBook PDF) Program Evaluation Theory and Practice First Edition: A

Comprehensive Guide

https://ebookluna.com/product/ebook-pdf-program-evaluation-theory-and-
practice-first-edition-a-comprehensive-guide/
Creating a
Mentoring
Program
Mentoring Partnerships
Across the Generations

Annabelle Reitman
Sylvia Ramirez Benatti
Creating a
Mentoring
Program
Mentoring Partnerships
Across the Generations

Annabelle Reitman
Sylvia Ramirez Benatti
© 2014 American Society for Training & Development (ASTD)

All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any
means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without
the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in
critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For
permission requests, please go to www.copyright.com, or contact Copyright Clearance Center
(CCC), 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923 (telephone 978.750.8400; fax: 978.646.8600).

ASTD Press is an internationally renowned source of insightful and practical information on

workplace learning, performance, and professional development.

ASTD Press
1640 King Street Box 1443
Alexandria, VA 22313-1443 USA

Ordering information for print edition: Books published by ASTD Press can be purchased by
visiting ASTD’s website at store.astd.org or by calling 800.628.2783 or 703.683.8100.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014934636 (print edition only)

Print edition ISBN: 978-1-56286-898-7

PDF e-book ISBN: 978-1-60728-404-8
2014-1

ASTD Press Editorial Staff:

Director: Glenn Saltzman
Manager and Editor, ASTD Press: Ashley McDonald
Community of Practice Manager, Human Capital: Ann Parker
Editorial Assistant: Ashley Slade
Text Design: Lon Levy and Bernard Bello
Cover Design: Marisa Kelly
 Contents

Preface...............................................................................................................................v

Part I: The Mentoring Partnership Guide.................................................................1

Chapter 1: Introduction..................................................................................................3
Chapter 2: Overview of Model Formal.......................................................................13
Chapter 3: Mentoring Partnership Program Orientation........................................17
Chapter 4: Launch Meeting: Formalizing the Partnership......................................43
Chapter 5: Mid-Point Meeting: Checking In.............................................................63
Chapter 6: Planned Celebration and Closure Meeting.............................................71
Chapter 7: Program Administration...........................................................................79
Chapter 8: Promotional Activities...............................................................................85
Chapter 9: The Next Steps: Planning for the Future.................................................93

Part II: The Mentoring Partner’s Workbook..........................................................97

Chapter 10: Introduction..............................................................................................99
Chapter 11: Overview of Model Format..................................................................105
Chapter 12: Mentoring Partnership Program Orientation....................................109
Chapter 13: Launch Meeting: Formalizing the Partnership..................................119
Chapter 14: Mid-Point Meeting: Checking In.........................................................137
Chapter 15: Planned Celebration and Closure Meeting........................................143
Chapter 16: The Next Steps: Planning for the Future.............................................149

References and Recommended Reading .................................................................151

About the Authors.......................................................................................................155

iii
This page intentionally left blank.
 Preface

The Mentoring Partnership Model has been in the making since 2009, when we
began to reflect about the existing generations in the workplace and what this
means for organizational activities and productivity. This thinking led to our
presentation, “Sustaining Engagement and Succession Planning Through Inter-
generational Conversations” at the 2009 ASTD International Conference & Expo-
sition. Reactions from the audience encouraged and reinforced our ideas that
generational relationships were changing. This was the onset of what eventually
became the Mentoring Partnerships Model.
As we continued to give presentations, for the Metro DC ASTD Chapter,
Chesapeake Bay Organizational Development Network, and Alexandria Women’s
Network (among others), on all or parts of the “intergenerational conversations”
presentation, we could visualize a greater and broader concept and impact. From
the exercises, Who Do You Think I Am? and Who I Am! and Intergenerational
Communication Skills we received in-depth feedback, particularly on how much
the different generations wanted to learn from each other.
As a result, we had a number of discussions about bringing the generations
together for equal opportunities to learn. Another influential factor was our
experience as past Metro DC ASTD Chapter presidents, of hearing from senior
members how tired they were of always being expected to mentor and share their

v
Preface

knowledge. They too wanted the opportunity to be engaged in learning as a bene-

fit of being a chapter member. This reinforced our findings on the generations;
Boomers and Traditionalists continually want to learn, develop a better under-
standing of the younger generations, and stay current with the latest technology.
In creating the communication skills exercise for intergenerational conver-
sations, extensive review was done on the generations: who they are, how they
communicate, what are the similarities and differences, and so on. We also
researched mentoring programs, learning styles, and communications between
the generations. Interestingly, little reference was found regarding the importance
of differences in communication and learning styles as having an impact on the
mentoring process.
We learned that a third party, for example HR, usually establishes the tradition-
al matching process in a mentoring program. It is difficult to determine personali-
ties or synergy from this method, in which feedback from the participants is used
to identify the best possible match. In contrast, the Mentoring Partnership Model
provides a process that enables the participants to conduct their own matching
process to identify compatible mentor partners.
The exercise Who Do You Think I Am? and Who I Am! was the foundation
for the What Do I Want to Teach or Share? and What Do I Want to Learn? ones.
We knew from our own experience and knowledge as a career coach and a trainer
that communication was critical to a viable and successful mentoring partnership.
Essential to the model is providing background on generational communications
and creating an exercise to identify each participant’s communication style. A pilot
program was conducted with the Metro DC Chapter of ASTD, whereby partici-
pants provided valuable hands-on prospective that helped us to further refine the
delivery process.

vi
 Preface

The first handout created for the pilot program was a short participant’s work-
book, which has evolved into two documents: A Coordinator’s Manual and a
Participant’s Workbook. These products are the basis for The Mentoring Partner-
ship Guide and The Mentoring Partner’s Workbook, containing complete proce-
dural steps, activities, exercises, and assessments. Materials also include guide-
lines for successful mentoring partnership meetings and relationships. We hope
that our goal has been met—that by using our product, an organization is able to
implement a Mentoring Partnership Program, from announcing the program to
recruiting participants to the closing celebration.
We would like to acknowledge the forward-thinking people who have chosen to
adapt our nontraditional mentoring model for their organization or association. The
willingness of your senior level executives or boards is also recognized for having an
open mindset to new ideas and approaches. It is hoped that you and the participants
find the experience to be as exciting and worthwhile as we have envisioned.
We want to express our appreciation to ASTD Press staff for their support and
encouragement in writing the Guide and Workbook and giving us this opportu-
nity to realize our goal and dream.

Annabelle and Sylvia

vii
This page intentionally left blank.
 Part I
The Mentoring
Partnership Guide
This page intentionally left blank.
 Chapter 1
Introduction

If you enter “mentoring” in the search engine of a major online bookseller, you will
receive 10,261 results. By adding the word “business” and narrowing the search,
you will still have 263 results. Mentoring in a great variety of arenas appears to be a
very hot topic, but why? Ensher and Murphy (2005) pointed out that it seems like
a fad, here today and gone tomorrow, along with all of the help books and hype.
But we would argue that it’s here to stay, and adds true value. Mentoring can be a
great tool to prepare the next generation of leaders, share intellectual capital, pass
on organizational history, and engage employees or members in an organization.

The Organization’s Overall Perspective

When your organization considers the initiation of a mentoring program, the first
set of questions that needs to be asked is: What are our expectations and goals for
this program? Will a mentoring program’s purpose be aligned with the organiza-
tion’s objectives? How will this program tie into the organization’s strategy for its
employees or members’ development and its succession planning?

3
Chapter 1

Senior Leadership’s Perspective

The next set of questions is focused on the organization’s senior leadership and
support for the program. Does the senior leadership understand the benefits of
a mentoring program? What do they see as the value-added asset of having this
additional learning opportunity available? How can they be made aware of the
importance of their support? With their endorsement of a mentoring program’s
proposal, other people such as managers, directors, and staff will follow. However,
if the attitude is that this is nice to have but not necessary, then others may not be
as willing to give their time and effort to be involved in this activity.

Employees’ or Members’ Perspective

The last set of questions is regarding the organization’s employees or members
and their concerns. Would they want a mentoring program to be offered? How
do they see this activity as a benefit to their development and growth? Are they
able and willing to commit a certain minimum amount of time to their participa-
tion? Today, mentoring is a commonplace involvement; however, it means some-
thing different to different people. In addition, it cannot be assumed that every-
one knows or understands the merits of a mentoring relationship. Employees or
members need to be fully aware that an agreement is formalized and commit to at
least a six-month period to have a worthwhile experience.

A Mentoring Program’s Essential Elements

The Matching Process
A screening process needs to be developed for application to the program. The
extent of any qualifying criteria for candidates should be at the discretion of the
organization. The senior leaders of the organization should know the composition

4
 Introduction

of their employees or members and who can benefit from participating in a mento-
ring relationship. Criteria should be established prior to the start of the program.
There are a number of options for accomplishing the matching procedure.
They include: 1) a formal method of pairing candidates whereby a third party,
usually the human resources department, reviews the submitted application forms
and determines appropriate matches from the information received; and 2) infor-
mal networks where one hopes to connect with a suitable person to establish a
mentoring relationship.
The Mentoring Partnership Model offers a nontraditional matching option—a
self-selection process—where participants identify what they want to learn and
what they can teach, and with the exchange of the information independently match
themselves. Finding the appropriate match is critical to the success of a mentoring
experience. Beyond the mutual learning that takes place, the existing synergy or
chemistry between the partners contributes to the depth of the experience.
In a traditional mentoring relationship, one individual gains knowledge and
guidance while the other person gains the opportunity to give back to a profes-
sional community or build a legacy within the organization. However, the Mento-
ring Partnership Model allows for mutual learning and active involvement for
both partners. Therefore, an organization will have its history and intellectual
capital passed on to the next generation, keep employees or members (both senior
and junior) retained and engaged, and potentially identify candidates for their
succession schedule.

Feedback and Evaluation

Ongoing feedback and evaluation are equally important to both the participat-
ing individuals and the organization. Feedback is a crucial communication tool
between partners, between the program coordinator and partners, and to follow up

5
Chapter 1

with organization leadership. An open, honest, and accepting dialogue in a mento-

ring relationship is vital to the individual’s growth and to the quality of the learning
accomplished. Understanding how to deliver and receive feedback are skills that an
individual can apply to other situations.
An evaluation process helps to determine if goals have been achieved. To keep
the process on track and the goals focused, structured interim evaluations of the
program’s activities and management are recommended. A final evaluation indi-
cates the rate of success, the specific areas where it has been accomplished, and to
how the goals were ultimately met.
For the program coordinator and the organization, feedback and evaluation
are equally important. The coordinator needs to know about his performance
level—what was carried out well and where improvements are needed. Everyone
needs to know if the program went as envisioned; whether goals were met, unre-
alistic, or not suitable; and if additions or changes are needed. Specific strengths
and weaknesses are reviewed to learn what successes can be replicated and decide
where improvements are necessary. Everyone involved in the program, from
senior leadership to participants, should contribute to a list of lessons learned.
Taking all of these points into consideration is very important for establishing a
mentoring program that benefits the individual participants and the organization.
Mentoring programs can be a great asset to an organization, whether through the
traditional model or the partnership model. They can increase engagement and
retention of employees or members. Professional development can be provided
across the organization, to share and retain valuable intellectual capital. In addi-
tion, a mentoring program also demonstrates how the company or organization
values its employees and their professional and personal growth.

6
Discovering Diverse Content Through
Random Scribd Documents
reign. The state council persisted; but had to give in, when the
colonels of the regiments reported that they could no longer answer
for their troops, since also the paymaster’s office was closed. The
Riksdag convened in Norrkœping in 1769. The Caps suffered defeat
in spite of strenuous efforts made for their preservation by the
secret agents of the powers, anxious to see the anarchic condition of
the government continue. But the court party failed in the exertions
to have the royal privileges augmented. The intrigues of the foreign
powers continued, and the crown prince left for France to insure her
support in case of war. While the Hats were once more in power,
Adolphus Frederic died suddenly in February, 1771.
Gustavus was to put an end to the party strife of the “Period of
Liberty,” as it has been called. His own reign belongs properly to it,
for he reaped the benefit of the seed it had been sowing. The Period
of Liberty, with all its faults, forms an important chain in the cultural
and political development of Sweden. Its form of government made
necessary a varied and active part in public affairs, educating all
classes of officials to a high degree of efficiency and the people at
large to self-government. The Riksdag, through parliamentary
activity and importance, developed an authority which, although too
composite to govern itself, was enabled to act as a shield of steel
against all abuse of the executive power. The national life never
gathered a richer harvest of men of genius who worked for the
progress of their country and for that of the world. The heroism of
the Swedish people during the preceding period of suffering and
distress bore fruit in men like Emanuel Swedenborg, the inventor,
naturalist, philosopher and founder of a new religion; Charles
Linnæus; the founder of modern botany; Andrew Celsius, Junior, the
inventor of the centigrade thermometer; John Ahlstrœmer, the
pioneer of industry; John Ihre, the able philologist, and Olof von
Dalin, the poet, humorist, and, with Sven Lagerbring, the first
modern historian of Sweden. The Period of “Liberty,” viz., of an
Aristocratic Republic, was the golden era of Swedish science, the
latter for the first time becoming of universal fame and of universal
importance. The scientists of this period belong to the fathers of
modern research, basing their conclusions upon personal
observation, in strong contrast to their fathers and precursors of the
chauvinistic barocco period.
Emanuel Swedenborg, the most remarkable man whom Sweden has
ever brought forth, was born in Stockholm, June 29, 1688. His father
was Jesper Svedberg, bishop of Skara, in West Gothland, and his
mother Sara Behm. The tendency toward mysticism, an inheritance
from his father, was noticed in him at an early age. He has told of
himself that between the age of four and ten his thoughts were
exclusively occupied with religious subjects. While in prayer, he
sometimes entered a somnambulic condition, revealing things which
surprised his parents, who said that angels spoke through him. As a
child, he had the idea of God as one, without any conception of a
Trinity. Later he received instruction in the systematic theology of his
day. His father gave him a thorough training in the Oriental and
classical languages. The early mysticism of the boy was supplanted
by a thirst for knowledge of the phenomena of life and nature,
coupled to a burning desire to illustrate his reading by practical
experiments. Having entered the University of Upsala, he at first
devoted himself to the study of the classical languages and
literature, later to that of mathematics and natural science. When
the university was visited by the plague in 1710, and almost all
courses of instruction were interrupted, Swedenborg made a journey
for scientific purposes to England, Holland, France and Germany. He
returned in 1714, enriched with valuable results. In 1716-18 he
published the first scientific journal of Sweden, “Dædalus
Hyperboreus,” treating subjects of mathematics and physical science.
In 1716 he came in close personal contact with Charles XII. at the
university town of Lund. The king, being deeply impressed by his
great learning and practical ability, appointed him assistant assessor
of the college of mining. Swedenborg had, by the scholar Eric
Benzelius, been made acquainted with the idea of the old Bishop
Brask, of the time of Gustavus I., to “cut up the land” between the
North Sea and the Baltic to make a navigable route through Sweden.
Swedenborg gave close attention to this scheme, and communicated
his plans to Charles XII., who became very much interested in them.
Christopher Polhem was selected to build the great canal, and
Swedenborg was made his assistant. We know from the sketch of
Polhem’s life why the great work failed of accomplishment.
Swedenborg gave a proof of his superior genius as a practical
engineer during the siege of Fredericshall. Tordenskiold made the
sea unsafe and had hedged in the Swedish fleet at Iddefiord. The
Swedish boats and galleys were then carried overland to the town of
Strœmstad, travelling the main road for fifteen miles on rolling
machines devised by Swedenborg. After the death of Charles XII.,
whom he highly respected, Swedenborg travelled to Saxony and
Hungary to study the mining industry of these countries. Returning
in 1722, he entered for the first time upon his work of the college of
mining, becoming assessor a few years later. In 1719 he was
ennobled with his brothers and sisters, when the change of name
from Svedberg to Swedenborg was made. In 1724 he declined to
accept the chair of mathematics at the University of Upsala, dividing
his time between his official work and his studies, until 1747, when
he resigned from his position with a pension of the same amount as
his salary. His religious works were commenced in 1745, and after
that time he made repeated journeys to London or Amsterdam to
have these printed, as they could not be published in Sweden on
account of the strict and highly orthodox censure of that period.
In 1744 the event occurred which Swedenborg in various places of
his works has described as the opening of his spiritual sight, or the
manifestations of the Lord to him in person. He had not, by
geometrical, physical and metaphysical principles, succeeded in
grasping the infinite and the spiritual, or their relation to the nature
of man, but he had touched on facts and methods which seemed to
conduct him in the right direction. He thought that God had led him
into the natural sciences in order to prepare him for his later spiritual
development. The visions of his boyhood returned, now conceived
by a nature enriched by the experiences of a life spent in ardent and
scientific research. The great seer remained a man whom everybody
loved and respected. People who did not believe in his visions feared
to ridicule them in the presence of this august savant. His manner of
life was simple, his diet chiefly consisting of bread, milk and large
quantities of coffee. He made little distinction between night and
day, and sometimes lay for days in a trance. His servants were often
disturbed at night by hearing him engaged in what he called
conflicts with evil spirits. His intercourse with spirits was often
perfectly calm, in broad daylight, and with all his faculties awake. He
held that every man and woman has the same power of spiritual
intercourse, although not developed in the same degree as it was
found in him.
The work which established the scientific reputation of Swedenborg
was published, in 1734, in three massive folios, at the expense of
Duke Ludvig Rudolph of Brunswick. The second and third volumes
describe the best methods employed in Europe and America in the
manufacture of iron, copper and brass. The first volume contains a
philosophical explanation of the elementary world which has aroused
admiration as a beautiful, daring and consistent creation of human
genius, worthy of being placed side by side with the works of
Newton, and replete with remarkable ideas and anticipations of later
discoveries. Swedenborg indicated the existence of the seventh
planet forty years before Uranus was discovered by Herschel. He
was the first to form an idea of the development of nebulæ from
chaotic masses to concrete heavenly bodies, a hypothesis later
perfected by Herschel, and the first to offer the theory, later
developed by Buffon, Kant and La Place, of the solar origin of the
planets and their satellites. As in astronomy, so also in physics and
geology he preconceived great discoveries. His experiments and
theories in physics have been confirmed by the discoveries of the
polarity of light and the galvanometer and its magnetic properties.
Swedenborg discovered before anybody else the great importance of
magnetism and the fact that magnetism and electricity are
manifestations of the same power. He made observations concerning
air and water which have been confirmed as to their correctness by
Priestley, Cavendish and Lavoisier, who long were supposed to have
been the first discoverers. In geology, he was the first to
demonstrate that the Scandinavian peninsula, except the southern
part of Scania, was a rising continent, proving the earlier level of the
sea to have been much higher and the inland lakes to have stood in
connection with the sea. Through his remarks on bowlders, he gave
rise to the later theories of Berzelius and Sæfstrom of a bowlder
period. Upon these researches followed great and remarkable works
of anatomy, which, by later anatomists of the first rank, have been
declared to be classics in the literature of physiology. His immense
work, “Arcana Cœlestia,” and other theosophical writings which he
has placed as a foundation for the New Church, and on which his
present fame rests, were not so celebrated in his days as his
scientific works. Like the latter, they were all written in Latin.
The new religion, founded by Swedenborg, more spiritual than the
old, has proved equally attractive to the individual and idealistic
thinkers of all sects, Protestants and Catholics, Unitarians and
Theosophists. Swedenborg made no attempt to establish a sect, and
the New Church as an organization is the result of a movement
which was started after his death.
In his personal appearance Swedenborg was a middle-sized man of
strong constitution. His head was of a fine shape, the color of his
face somewhat dark and its expression pensive, but his blue eyes
were large and radiant. His disposition was amiable. He was a man
of the world, fond of music and society, especially of that of cultured
women, and was often seen at court. He had a tendency to stutter
when speaking fast, for which reason he used a slow diction,
characterized by choice and mature expressions. In his youth, he
frequented the house of Christopher Polhem and fell in love with his
daughter Emerentia. Both Polhem and Charles XII. favored the idea
of seeing them united, the young girl of fourteen giving her consent.
But young Emerentia was secretly in love with somebody else, and
her health and disposition suffered under the strain. When
Swedenborg discovered the truth, he gave his betrothed freedom
from her allegiance. He ceased to visit the house of Polhem and
never entered any other relation of love.
In 1770, at the age of eighty-two, Swedenborg for the last time
visited Amsterdam. John C. Cuno, who then saw him, thus described
the impression which the aged visionary and thinker made upon
him: “He looked so touchingly pious, and when I gazed into his
smiling eyes of a heavenly blue, it always seemed to me that truth
itself spoke from his lips.” Swedenborg left Amsterdam for London,
where, on Christmas eve, 1772, he was struck by hemiplegia. After a
few weeks he recovered his speech, and his faculties were clear to
the last. The chaplain of the Swedish legation asked him if he had
not formulated the doctrines of his new religion in order to gain
fame, and if he wished to recall it all before he died. The yet partly
paralyzed man raised himself into a sitting position, saying: “As true
as it is that you see me here in front of you, as true is also all that I
have written, and in eternity you will find a confirmation of it.” The
chaplain asked him if he wanted to receive the sacrament.
Swedenborg answered: “I need it not; for I am already a member of
the other world; but your intention is good, and I will with joy
receive the sacrament in token of the bond of unity between heaven
and earth.” Swedenborg died March 29, 1772, and was buried in the
Lutheran church of London.
Swedenborg was shrewd in worldly affairs and discussed politics and
finance in the Swedish Riksdag for nearly a score of years after his
visions and theological writings had begun to occupy most of his
time.
If the theological works of Emanuel Swedenborg at first were apt to
discredit the results of his manifold scientific research in the eyes of
those who did not share his theosophical views, the renown of the
great religious thinker in later times has outshone the fame of which,
as the versatile scholar and philosopher, he was so eminently worthy.
With his younger contemporary, Charles Linnæus (or Carl von
Linné), the case was different. There was in his career no radical
change to divert or throw an umbrage over the fame he had won as
a scientist of the very first rank.
Charles Linnæus, the most celebrated of Swedish scientists, was
born at Rashult, in Smaland, in 1707. His father was a minister of a
very subordinate charge of the state church. The neighborhood in
which the young Linnæus grew up was not fertile, but rich in
flowers, which were the toys and comrades of his childhood. He
made but little progress at his work in the college of Vexio, being
more fond of collecting and examining plants than of studying Greek
and Latin. It was the wish of his parents that he should become a
minister and the assistant of his father; but the youth had so little
inclination to pursue the life or studies of a clergyman that he at last
found it necessary to tell his parents so. He had found a friend and
protector in Doctor Rothman, a district physician, who encouraged
him to follow his ambition of becoming a naturalist and physician.
Doctor Rothman supervised his studies in botany and succeeded in
teaching him Latin by giving him the natural history of Pliny to study.
In this manner Linnæus, who at college showed utter dislike for the
classical languages, learned to write and speak Latin with ease. His
teachers, who at first had advised his parents to let him quit the
book, in order to take up some trade, were made aware of his gifted
nature, but as he was found deficient in the regular courses, their
recommendation, necessary for his admittance to the University of
Lund, was very carefully worded. “The youths in our colleges may be
likened unto little trees in a plant school, where it happens, although
but rarely, that young trees upon which the greatest care have been
lavished do not turn out well, but resemble wild stems, yet, when
removed and transplanted, change their wild nature and develop
into beautiful trees of agreeable fruit. Likewise, and for no other
purpose, this youth is sent to the university, where he may venture
into a climate favorable to his growth.” There was an accurate but
unconscious prophecy concealed in this beautiful “recommendation,”
which, curiously enough, has chosen the similes which were
considered indispensable in the artificial language of the period from
the world of plants, when speaking of the future flower king of the
North.
The young Linnæus made his way to the university town of Southern
Sweden, walking the whole distance from Vexio to Lund, with a
heavy knapsack and a light pocket-book. He was in hopes to win the
protection of his uncle, the influential dean of the cathedral. Upon
entering Lund, he heard all church bells tolling, and, upon inquiry,
learned that they rang for the funeral of his uncle, the dean! A
former teacher of his managed to have him enrolled at the university
without having to turn in the diplomatic recommendation from his
college. He took his bachelor’s degree and was kindly encouraged by
Professor Chilian Stobæus, at whose house he was stopping. The
mother of Stobæus told him to look after the young man from
Smaland, who was in the habit of going to sleep with his candle left
burning, thus liable to “lead the whole house into adventure.” When
the learned professor looked into the matter he found his own works
in the hands of the youth, who spent his nights reading them. After
that all the books and the heartfelt sympathy of the scholar were at
the command of Linnæus.
In 1728 Linnæus, so advised by his earliest protector, changed his
place of study to the University of Upsala, which at the time was
better equipped and provided with a fine botanical garden. The
young scholar endured a great deal of suffering for lack of funds, his
father no longer being able to provide for his support. His diet was
very light, and he wrapped his benumbed feet in paper to keep them
from peeping out of his ragged shoes. His father called him home to
reconsider his resolution as to a ministerial calling. Linnæus was
ready to leave and paid a farewell visit to the botanic gardens. He
lingered in melancholy thoughts before a rare flower which he
intended to pluck. A harsh voice behind commanded him to leave
the flower alone. Linnæus turned and stood face to face with the
dean, Olof Celsius the Elder. In the interview which followed the
young man surprised the dean, who was an able and enthusiastic
botanist, by his exceptional knowledge of plants. Celsius inquired
about his circumstances and ended by taking him into his house and
providing for his future. Shortly afterward Linnæus published a short
but important treatise on the sexual life of plants, which he handed
in to Professor Olof Rudbeck the Younger. This able scholar was
forcibly struck by the ingenuity of the thoughts in the work, which
contained the nucleus to the grand scientific system which Linnæus
later developed. When, in 1730, Rudbeck obtained a vacation he had
Linnæus installed as a lecturer of the botanic gardens. Shortly
afterward Linnæus received the commission to pay a visit of botanic
research to Lapland, on the plants of which he published a
remarkable work. The journey was made on horseback, the young
scholar returning deeply impressed by the grandeur of natural
sceneries in the extreme North.
Linnæus had to fight poverty and adversity for some time still. His
mother, who always had regretted that he should “turn out a
surgeon instead of a minister,” was elated over his first triumph
when opening the field of a new science by his sexual system of
plants. He suffered all the more at her death, which he was forced to
conceal because he could not afford a mourning garb. Envious
comrades put an end to his lectures at Upsala by having enforced,
through petitions, an order against the filling of temporary vacancies
by men who had not taken the doctor’s degree. It was found
necessary for Linnæus to go abroad, and some money was
subscribed by his friends for that purpose. In Holland he met the
learned Professor Boerhave, who, on being made acquainted with
his system of botany, which Linnæus then for the first time
published, received him with tokens of unlimited admiration and
friendship. It was by Boerhave that the continental fame of Linnæus
was founded. The latter found, in the arranging of the great gardens
of Hartekamp intrusted to him, a work both agreeable and
instructive. In London, Linnæus broadened his experience with study
of the rich collections of plants and naturalia which were made
accessible to him by the celebrated scholar Hans Sloane, later the
founder of the British Museum. The letter of recommendation from
Boerhave was somewhat different to the one Linnæus had received
at Vexio: “Linnæus, who hands you this letter, is the only one worthy
to see you, and to be seen by you. Those who see you together look
upon two men the peers of which the world does hardly possess.”
After a stay in Paris, where the greatest scientists of France treated
him with distinction, he returned to Holland, to find his friend
Boerhave dying in Leyden. Linnæus kissed the hand of the dying
man, who insisted on kissing the hand of Linnæus in return,
pronouncing him the greater genius, of whom the world should
expect and receive more.
Linnæus, the celebrated founder of a new science, returned home as
an unknown man. His ability as a physician, acquired at the
University of Leyden, and his growing continental fame soon made
him distinguished. In 1741 he was appointed professor of medicine
at Upsala, but changed chairs with the professor of botany. The
study of the latter science was highly developed through the
continued research of Linnæus, and became very popular, while
giving a great impetus to the study of medicine. The grace and
animation of Linnæus as a lecturer caused students and scholars to
flock around him in hundreds. The botanic excursions led by
Linnæus resembled daily marches of triumphs, the multitude of
students escorting their beloved teacher back to the botanic gardens
with flowers in their hats and with music of drums and French horns.
Sweden, with Upsala as a centre, was for the first time in history
considered a home of scientific culture, to which naturalists gathered
from all parts of the world, America included. Pupils of ability and
distinction were sent by Linnæus to strange and unknown quarters,
from which they returned with new and unfamiliar plants, which
were examined and classified by the flower king of the North.
Linnæus was honored by his contemporaries in such a superlative
manner as no one of his countrymen, before or after, and few other
scientists of any age or country. Count Charles Gustavus Tessin has
the credit of having encouraged him in his work and improved his
career upon his return from the Continent. When ennobled, Linnæus
changed his name to Von Linné, the earlier form being the more
familiar to English readers. King Gustavus III. presented him with
the estate Hammarby, where he liked to dwell, surrounded by his
flowers and his family, resting from the fatigue caused by the
endless stream of distinguished pilgrims who came to visit his flower
court at Upsala. The offers of foreign monarchs to have him come
and dwell with them were many and liberal. In 1739 he married the
love of his youth, Maria Elizabeth Moræus, “and never since felt an
inclination to leave Sweden.”
Linnæus in many respects resembled Swedenborg, being convinced
that his acceptance of truth was the correct one and disliking
disputes. Like Swedenborg, he was pious, modest, benevolent and
sincere. Of his own exterior and disposition Linnæus has himself
given the following characteristic account: “Linnæus was not tall, not
small, lean, brown-eyed, light, quick, walked briskly, did everything
promptly, disliked slow people, was sensitive, easily moved, worked
continuously and could not spare himself. He was fond of good food
and drank good drinks, but never to excess. He cared little for
exteriors, considering that man should adorn his dress and not vice
versa. Faculty meetings were not his delight, or business, for he was
made for quite other things, and had other things in mind than those
which there were discussed and decided upon.” In the preface to the
late edition of his principal work, “Systema Naturæ,” the following
noteworthy paragraph is found: “I saw the shadow of the Supreme
Being go past me, and I was seized with respect and admiration. I
searched for His footsteps in the sand—what power, what wisdom! I
saw how the animals existed only by means of the plants, the plants
by means of the lifeless particles, and these in their turn constitute
the earth. I saw the sun and stars without number hanging
suspended in the air, held by the hand of the Being of beings, the
artist of this grand masterpiece.”
Linnæus died January 10, 1778, and was buried in the cathedral of
Upsala. His botanic system has been superseded by others, but the
influence that his researches and discoveries have exerted on the
natural sciences and medicine, has not ceased to be benignantly felt,
nor have the utmost results of his researches been as yet attained.
Andrew Celsius, professor of astronomy at Upsala, acquired fame as
a writer on astronomy and was successful in his efforts to have an
observatory built at the university. In 1742 he introduced his
invention, the Celsius or centigrade thermometer, which is of almost
indispensable practical value in all physical and chemical
experiments. Olof Celsius, Senior, the able botanist, Orientalist and
patron of Linnæus, was his uncle, he thus being a cousin of Olof
Celsius, Junior, whose brightly written histories of Gustavus Vasa and
Eric XIV. were translated into contemporaneous French and German.
John Ahlstrœmer accomplished more for the resurrection of the
downtrodden industry of his country than any one else, and
therefore justly deserves the name of the Father of Swedish
Industry. This man, who occupies an honored place in Swedish
history, was born in 1685, of poor parents, at the town of Alingsos,
in West Gothland, his original name being John Toresson. He worked
himself up in various mercantile positions in Stockholm and other
towns, later coming to London, where he engaged in business of his
own and became an English citizen. He saw with regret that his
countrymen sent their money abroad to obtain articles which they
could manufacture at home, and was seized with the ambition to
introduce into Sweden the industries which constitute the foundation
of England’s mercantile wealth.
When Charles XII. returned to Sweden, Ahlstrœmer went there also,
trying to win the king to his industrial plans. He did not succeed, but
found in Christopher Polhem a man who listened to and appreciated
them. Ahlstrœmer intended to return to England, but was captured
by the Danes during the journey. On account of his English
citizenship he soon regained his liberty, visiting England and the
Continent, and carefully selecting everything which he had in view of
sending to Sweden as the requisite instruments for his plans. This
work sometimes involved great danger, as the buying of looms for
hose and ribbon, fulling vats, dyes, etc.; for the great manufacturing
countries were keeping jealous watch that the secrets of their
industries should not become known abroad. In a town in Holland,
Ahlstrœmer barely missed being pelted with stones by the mob.
Pursued by the revenue authorities, he managed to escape with his
ship, arriving safely in Gothenburg with the valuable cargo and
skilled laborers in his employ. Shortly afterward he arrived in his
native town of Alingsos, where the industrial enterprises were
established. The Riksdag at first was unwilling to grant him the
necessary concessions, the clergy especially being averse to allow so
many foreign workingmen free confession of their Catholic religion.
In 1724 the concessions were at last obtained, and Ahlstrœmer
began his course, which he was resolved should result in the
fostering of the same industrial activity in his impoverished country,
which he, with surprise, had noticed in England and on the
Continent.
In establishing his enterprises, Ahlstrœmer exhausted his resources,
and when he tried to form a company to keep them going he was
met with stubborn resistance, caused by ignorance and jealousy. He
succeeded at last in obtaining the financial backing of some wealthy
mine owners of Vermland, who took shares in his enterprises. The
Riksdag of 1726 encouraged him by placing high protective or
prohibitive tariffs on foreign articles which could be produced in the
country. In the following year King Frederic paid a visit to Alingsos,
spending a whole day in looking over the mills and factories. The
king said that he would rather own the stock of goods of Ahlstrœmer
than the largest arsenal in his kingdom, and saw to it that his
servants were dressed in broadcloth manufactured at Alingsos.
Alingsos saw its population suddenly increase from 300 to 1,800 and
entered upon an era of prosperity. Ahlstrœmer’s factories formed
almost a little town of their own beside the older one. There were
twelve looms for the manufacturing of broadcloth, forty-five looms
for wool, and, besides, cotton mills, dye works for wool and silk,
hose factories, an English tannery and various other industrial works.
Also a foundry, with eight communicating shops, where all kinds of
household articles of simple and composite metals were
manufactured. Alingsos was made a kind of normal school of
industry for the whole country. The foreign master workmen, who at
the beginning had charge of the factories, instructed in time a great
number of native apprentices, who later found employment
elsewhere, thus distributing to various parts the experience obtained
at Alingsos. Wool was the principal material in the factories, and in
order to obtain a refined quality, Ahlstrœmer imported stocks of
foreign breeds. He commenced with English sheep, the Riksdag of
1727 granting him the use of the royal estate Hœjentorp for the
purpose. Angora goats were later imported and seemed to thrive.
Ahlstrœmer did his country a great service by introducing the
cultivation of potatoes. The first shipment of this useful plant arrived
in 1723, with workingmen imported from France. As soon as the
plant was seen to stand the climate, larger quantities were sent for.
Potatoes were cultivated in the vast fields around Alingsos at a
period when they were exhibited in the botanic gardens of the
Continent as rare plants from Peru. Prejudice at first interfered, but
when the soldiers returned home from Pomerania with the habit of
eating potatoes, and planted such around their cottages, the
popularity of the Peruvian plant was assured. Ahlstrœmer also
introduced the cultivation of tobacco and several dye plants. The
coal mines, near Helsingborg, in Scania, commenced to be operated
at his instigation. When the Academy of Science was instituted, in
1739, Ahlstrœmer was made one of its members. The Academy of
Science served originally and in that era of utilitarianism a more
practical purpose than later. The Cap administration of Arvid Horn
gave comparatively little attention to the enterprises of Ahlstrœmer,
having more in view to develop agriculture than industry. When the
Hats got into power the conditions were reversed. Count Charles
Gyllenborg, the successor of Arvid Horn as president of the
chancery, in order to set a good example, always dressed in
broadcloth of Swedish manufacture. Ahlstrœmer was made a
councillor of commerce, and ennobled, while his bust was placed in
the Exchange of Stockholm and medals issued in his honor by the
Academy of Science.
Ahlstrœmer was a middle-sized man of a strong constitution. He was
amiable, courteous and hospitable, ever ready to conduct visitors
through his factories and warehouses. His energy was as great as
his kindness, and he refused to recognize an enemy in anybody. The
large profits of his plants he mostly spent on other patriotic
enterprises, leaving hardly any other inheritance to his sons than an
excellent education. During the last few years of his life he suffered
the consequences of a stroke of paralysis. He died in 1761, and thus
was saved from witnessing the destruction which was caused to the
new factory industry and his own works at Alingsos by the reckless
policy of the new Caps.
Olof Dalin is the principal poet and writer of the Period of Liberty,
strongly influencing not only the creative minds of his own day, but
also those who with more or less right have been counted as
belonging to the Gustavian Period. Dalin was the son of a minister in
the province of Halland and a relative of Professor Andrew Rydelius
of Lund, a historian of the older generation, who conducted the
course of his studies. He came to Stockholm in 1726, where several
positions in various state departments afforded opportunity for study
in libraries and archives. Dalin, from the year 1732 to 1734,
published a magazine called “The Swedish Argus,” which, with the
English “Spectator” as a pattern, contained articles on public and
individual morals, with allusions to the facts of contemporary life.
This publication caused a great stir and became very popular on
account of the acute logic and excellent language of its editor. Dalin
was appointed royal librarian by the Riksdag, and, on the
recommendation of Count Tessin, teacher to the young crown prince
Gustavus.
Dalin was an enthusiastic admirer of the glorious epoch of Swedish
history and of the character of Charles XII., which caused him to join
the party of the Hats. When the latter utterly failed in their attempts
to restore the political grandeur of the past, and Dalin witnessed the
excesses of the rivalling parties, he joined the secret agitators for an
increased royal power. In the literary and artistic circle of the brilliant
Queen Louise Ulrica, Dalin was the leading spirit. He was not
unaware of the conspiracies and intrigues of the queen, and is
supposed to have been the author of several of the sharp notes
which the king added to the records of the state council. The Hats,
who took offence at his sharp satires, made him resign from his
position as the teacher of the crown prince. After the conspiracy of
the court party was detected, Dalin was called before a committee of
the Estates and by order dismissed from the court. Dalin used the
time of his compulsory isolation for the writing of a history of
Sweden. This work, which never was carried further than to the end
of the Period of Reformation, is characterized by an attractive style,
but is not reliable as to facts.
Dalin was allowed to return to the court in 1761. He stood in great
favor and was covered with testimonials of appreciation. He died in
1763, at the moment when King Adolphus Frederic was resolved to
make him a state councillor. Dalin was the first writer who made
Swedish history popular, and exerted, by his poems and his
magazine, and by his education of Gustavus III., a considerable
influence upon the history of his own time.
In point of scientific research the historical works of Sven Lagerbring
have a much higher value than Dalin’s history, although they lacked
the literary excellence of the latter. Lagerbring, who, born in Scania,
was professor of history at the University of Lund, carried his work
to the times of Charles VIII. A shorter history of his was translated
into French and long formed the chief source of continental
knowledge of Swedish history.
As a poet Dalin had a rival in the somewhat younger Hedvig
Charlotta Nordenflycht, one of the most interesting characters in
Swedish history of literature. Her works, chiefly consisting of lyrics
and idyls, show a long chain of development from the taste of the
Carolinian period to that of the Gustavian epoch. In her deep
emotional nature and enthusiasm for all cultural movements she
stands without a rival. Receiving an annuity from the government,
she was after many adversities able to maintain a literary salon. The
men who met there, like Gustavus Philip Creutz and Gustavus
Frederic Gyllenborg, were the founders of an academic style in
poetry, as was Charles Gustavus Tessin in eloquence.
John Ihre is perhaps the most highly gifted of Swedish philologists
and the first whose research had a lasting scientific value. He stood
at the summit of contemporary European study of language, and
rose a head or more higher than the philologists of his own country
in that day. The period was characterized by a movement for the
purification and analyzation of the language, Dalin expressing his
wish to speak the truth to the Swedes in pure Swedish, and the
Academy of Science taking pride in publishing their important papers
in the mother tongue. Eric Benzelius, an able critic of the Gothic, and
interested in Swedish dialect research, was one of the precursors of
Ihre; and so was Olof Celsius, Senior, professor of Greek, later of
Oriental languages, who was the first to fix the age of the majority
of Runic inscriptions as dating from the Christian era.
John Ihre was born, in 1707, in Lund, where his father was a
professor of theology, a talented, witty and learned man. The young
Ihre lost his father in 1720, after which time his uncle, Archbishop
Steuchius of Upsala, had charge of his education. He later studied
modern languages at the University of Jena, made the acquaintance
of the contemporary philologists of Holland, and also studied at the
universities of London, Oxford and Paris. After an absence of three
years he returned, soon to be connected with the University of
Upsala, where he remained for forty-two years as professor of
rhetoric and politics. Ihre was a liberal, outspoken man, who was
severely censured for his opinions upon political and religious
subjects, once by the Riksdag being sentenced to pay fines and
receiving a warning from the chancellor of the university. When the
clergy upon another occasion warned the philosophers not to mix in
theological subjects, Ihre defended himself in the following terms in
a letter to the chancellor, Count Charles Gustavus Tessin. “Gracious
lord! I teach eloquentiam, politicam and the states, with all things
pertaining to them. To become a heretic I possess neither genius nor
stupidity enough, less an evil purpose. Therefore I am willing to
forego all theology, if only an allowance of it be made large enough
for my private practice and edification in Christianity. I never
intended to go any further.”
Ihre left religion and politics alone, and received many high
distinctions in return for his great scientific merits. When ennobled,
he kept his old family name, stating that he was “somewhat known
abroad under the name of Ihre,” while if he changed it to
Gyllenbiorn or Vargstierna, it would take “some time to announce
this new disguise.” He was renowned for his ready wit, and wielded
a considerable influence in academic circles. Ihre was satisfied with
his position and his science, and was not willing to exchange them
for a political career.
Ihre was led to the study of the Teutonic languages in their oldest
forms by his desire to find a consistent spelling and correct
understanding of the words in his own language. He was desirous of
freeing it from foreign words, but only when those substituted were
as expressive and comprehensible as the old. Ihre was a pioneer in
the field of dialect lexicographers, publishing the outline of a
Swedish dialect dictionary in 1766, and wrote a number of works
pertaining to the historic forms of Gothic, Lappish, Finnish and Old
Norse. Special importance is due to his epoch-making research
concerning the language of the Codex Argenteus. He once for all
settled the controversy, proving the Codex to contain the Gothic
Bible translation of Bishop Wulfila against the assertions of M.
Lacroze of Berlin, who claimed that it was written in Frankish. In
regard to the Edda of Snorre Sturleson, he declared it to be intended
as an introductory study of poesy, a handbook of poetics for young
scalds, an opinion which has been fully established in a much later
time. By these and other theories Ihre attained a much higher
standpoint as a scientific critic than his contemporaries. He spoke of
the resemblance between the Teutonic and the classical languages,
without being able to find the reasons. He even to some extent
anticipated the great discovery which after its formulator has been
called Grimm’s Law, by pointing out “a certain regularity of
consonant shift” in the Teutonic languages.
The monumental work of Ihre and the crowning effort of his life was
prepared between the years 1750-1759. This Glossarium
suiogothicum, published at the expense of the government, is the
best Swedish dictionary of the eighteenth century. Ihre by his severe
critical method kills the wild etymologies of the “Rudbeckian
philology,” turning to Old Swedish for the derivations, and, where
this gave no satisfaction, to the Old Icelandic, “because this
language nine hundred years ago was separated from our own and
has remained undisturbed by foreign influence.” From the Old
Northern dialects he turned to Old High German, Old English and
Gothic, the last mentioned of which he considered the mother of the
Teutonic languages. Many of Ihre’s etymologies have not been able
to withstand the scrutiny of later criticism, but his great etymological
dictionary is the product of versatile knowledge and unusual insight,
and has not only exerted a profound influence upon his own period
but also served as a model for later epochs of philological research.
 CHAPTER XV
Gustavian Period—Gustavus III. and Gustavus
IV. Adolphus

Gustavus III., with his brilliant endowment, one of the most

illustrious, and, in spite of his glaring faults, one of the most
beloved, of Swedish monarchs, was the first king since Charles XII.
who was born in Sweden. For this very reason, and on account of his
amiable and charming disposition, he had won for himself the
sympathy of the people even before his succession to the throne.
This nephew of Frederic the Great of Prussia had inherited the
genius, ambition and pride of his gifted mother, all enlarged and
intensified, and the gentleness and good nature of his father. He was
in every particular a child of his time, and every inch a king.
Gustavus was decidedly French in education, taste and superficiality,
but had by his first teacher Dalin been inspired with a deep love of
his country, its history, language and traditions. He handled the
Swedish and French languages with equal skill, and a more eloquent
monarch has never graced a throne. He was passionately fond of
theatricals and impressive ceremony, and, like his mother and
illustrious uncle, he surrounded himself with men of genius.
Gustavus was betrothed to Princess Sophie Magdalene of Denmark
when only four years of age, and married her when twenty. This
union was arranged by the Riksdag, contrary to the wish of
Gustavus’s parents. Gustavus appeared at first to be deeply in love
with the gentle and unpretentious princess, but she soon found
herself as neglected by her consort as she was detested by his
mother. The crown prince early began to hate the form of
government which had brought so much humiliation to his parents.
This absolutism of the Riksdag, which could be bought and sold
through bribery by foreign powers, he considered dangerous to the
independence and welfare of the country, and was resolved to
change the balance of power to the hands of the king, of whose
dignity and importance he held an exalted opinion.
At the death of his father, Gustavus was in France, returning with the
agreement of a secret alliance. At the Riksdag of 1771, where the
Caps once more came into power, Gustavus III. signed a pledge with
new restrictions of the royal authority. But while the king officially
seemed to desire a pacification of both parties, and his time was
principally occupied with theatricals, embroideries and costumes, he
was secretly arranging a conspiracy. He was crowned in May, 1772,
and in August the news of a revolt in Scania, led by John Christian
Toll, reached the capital. The king feigned surprise, but waited for
similar news from Finland, whence Jacob Magnus Sprengtporten was
to bring troops to Stockholm. As Sprengtporten’s movements were
somewhat delayed, the king had to take action himself. In the
morning of August 19th he entered the officers’ hall of the body-
guards, where he delivered a patriotic address, asking the officers to
follow him as their ancestors had followed Gustavus Vasa and
Gustavus Adolphus. He was greeted with an enthusiasm which soon
spread throughout the capital, assuring the king of perfect loyalty.
The state councillors were quickly arrested and order given that no
one should be allowed to leave the capital. The Riksdag was called
together August 21st, and addressed by the king in an eloquent
speech which gave a striking view of the situation and its perils. He
declared that he was not going to touch liberty, only to abolish
misrule by the establishment of a firm administration. Then was read
the proposition for a constitution which the king had prepared. The
king alone was to be the executive, appointing higher officials and
councillors, making alliances with foreign powers, but not
commencing any war of attack without the consent of the Riksdag.
The state council was to consist of seventeen members with
deliberative, but no executive, power. The Riksdag was to convene
at the order of the king, taxation and legislation to be decided on by
the king and Riksdag in common. The judicial power of all
committees was to be abolished. The Riksdag accepted the royal
propositions, and one of the most smoothly and skilfully managed
coups d’état ever attempted was accomplished, much to the dismay
of Russia, Prussia and Denmark. During half a score of years the
country enjoyed a happy peace, the king winning the love of his
people and being active in administrative improvements.
Gustavus III. was intensely interested in literature and art, and a
writer of considerable ability, composing dramatic works of French
pattern but with patriotic subjects. In his best creations he is
influenced by Shakespeare. Among the poets whom he encouraged
were Kellgren, Leopold, Creutz, Gyllenborg, Oxenstierna, Adlerbeth,
the creators of a classical school of Swedish poetry and drama,
influenced by the contemporary French writers. Above these towers
Charles Michael Bellman, who, with his composite and rich
endowment, became the first great national poet, and of an
originality as remarkable as that of any genius in the literature of the
world. The humor introduced into Swedish literature through the
contact with the songs of the Edda, in Bellman reaches its
perfection, while his poetry in exquisite and triumphant grace of
form outrivals that of his classical contemporaries. His poems were
almost all produced under the inspiration of the moment, even if
later remodelled, and sung to the lute to melodies of the day, or of
his own composition. His impressionistic power of description leads
the thought to the modern artists, while his ambition to unite the
arts of poetry, music and plastics makes him a precursor of Neo-
Romanticism. There is not one accent of chauvinism, not even a
note of patriotism, in his songs, yet he is the most beloved of
Swedish poets, recognized as the highest exponent of the lyrico-
rhetorical temperament of his people, a mixture of melancholy
humor and exuberant joy in a graceful yet stately form. Anne Marie
Lenngren was a highly talented poetess, who preserves the classic
form for her verse, in which she ridicules the faults and vices of her
period. Thorild and Lidner were men of great genius, but of
somewhat bizarre and neglected literary form, influenced by
contemporary Romanticism in Germany. Sweden continues to add a
number of names to the galaxy of men distinguished in the service
Welcome to our website – the ideal destination for book lovers and
knowledge seekers. With a mission to inspire endlessly, we offer a
vast collection of books, ranging from classic literary works to
specialized publications, self-development books, and children's
literature. Each book is a new journey of discovery, expanding
knowledge and enriching the soul of the reade

Our website is not just a platform for buying books, but a bridge
connecting readers to the timeless values of culture and wisdom. With
an elegant, user-friendly interface and an intelligent search system,
we are committed to providing a quick and convenient shopping
experience. Additionally, our special promotions and home delivery
services ensure that you save time and fully enjoy the joy of reading.

Let us accompany you on the journey of exploring knowledge and

personal growth!

ebookluna.com