subject taken from the Old Norse sagas. His numerous productions before
1808 attracted little attention and failed to get any prize for the
young author. But in the above mentioned year he sprang into immediate
popularity by the stirring "War Song of the Scanian Reserves" (Krigssång
för skånska lantvärnet), the Marseillaise of the Swedish nation. Sweden
had just suffered great reverses in war, her very existence as an
independent power seemed to hang in the balance, and confusion and
discouragement were evident on every hand. Then came Tegnér's patriotic
bugle blast, stirring the nation to renewed hope and courage. Speaking
of this poem Professor Boyesen says: "As long as we have wars we must
have martial bards and with the exception of the German Theodore Körner
I know none who can bear comparison with Tegnér. English literature can
certainly boast no war poem which would not be drowned in the mighty
music of Tegnér's 'Svea', 'The Scanian Reserves', and that magnificent
dithyrambic declamation, 'King Charles, the Young Hero'. Tennyson's
'Charge of the Light Brigade' is technically a finer poem than anything
Tegnér has written, but it lacks the deep, virile bass, the tremendous
volume of breath and voice, and the captivating martial lilt which makes
the heart beat willy nilly to the rhythm of the verse" (Essays on
Scandinavian Literature, 233).

The ability evinced by Tegnér as an instructor, but principally the
enthusiasm aroused by his "Song to the Scanian Reserves", gave him in
1810 a call to the Greek professorship at Lund. He did not, however,
enter into this position until 1812.

In the meantime Tegnér had given to his native land the solemn didactic
poem "Svea". In stately Alexandrine verse he scathingly rebukes his
countrymen for their foolish aping after foreign manners and depending
on foreign goods to satisfy their desires. The people, says the poet, can