prominent supporter of this movement was Ivar Aasen (1813-1898),
the author of an excellent dictionary of the Norwegian language. A
prominent poetical representative of this school was Aasmund Olafson
Vinje (1818-1870), while Kristofer Janson (born 1841) has also written
a number of stories and poems in the _Landsmaal_ (country tongue).

A new and grand period in Norwegian literature commenced about 1857,
and the two most conspicuous names in this period--and in the whole
Norwegian literature--are those of Henrik Ibsen and Björnstjerne
Björnson.

Henrik Ibsen was born in Skien, in 1828. He has written many beautiful
poems; but his special field is in the drama, where he is a master.
His first works were nearly all historical romantic dramas. His first
work, _Catilina_, printed in 1850, was scarcely noticed until years
afterward, when he had become famous. In 1856 appeared the romantic
drama, _Gildet paa Solhaug_, "The Feast at Solhaug," followed by _Fru
Inger til Oestraat_, 1857, and _Haermaedene paa Helgeland_, "The
Warriors on Helgeland," 1858. In 1863, he wrote the historical tragedy
_Kongsemnerne_, "The Pretenders," in which the author showed his great
literary power. Before this play was published, he had been drawn
into a new channel. In 1862, he began a series of satirical and
philosophical dramas with _Kjaerlighedens Komedie_, "Love's Comedy,"
which was succeeded by two masterpieces of a similar kind, _Brand_, in
1866, and _Peer Gynt_, in 1867. These two works were written in verse;
but in _De Unges Forbund_, "The Young Men's League," 1869, a political
satire, he abandoned verse, and all his subsequent dramas have been
written in prose. In 1873 came _Keiser og Galilaeer_, "Emperor and
Galilean." Since then he has published a number of social dramas which
have attracted world-wide attention. Among them are: _Samfundets