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212 A History of Sweden
C. CULTURE OF THE PERIOD
Characteristics of the Seventeenth Century. Along
military and political lines the seventeenth century is
no doubt the greatest period in Swedish history. Its
annals record the achievements of its great kings and
statesmen : Charles IX, Gustavus Adolphus, Axel Oxen-
stiern, Charles X Gustavus, Charles XI, and the early
career of Charles XII. It is also noted for progress
along cultural lines, of which George Stiernhielm and
Olof Eudbeck are the foremost representatives.
George Stiernhielm. Among the great literary lights
of the period George Stiernhielm, the father of Swed-
ish poetry, holds the first place. He was born in Dale-
carlia in 1598 and diedfj
in Stockholm in 1672.
Before his day Swedish
poetry, as exemplified
in the Rhymed Chroni-
cle, differed little from
prose, except in the ;
rhyme; the lines were
of unequal length and
without meter, or suc-
cession of accented and
unaccented syllables.
Melody and rhythm
were both introduced
into Swedish poetry by
Stiernhielm. Thus he
made Swedish poetry a beautiful art. In his most cele-
brated poem, "Hercules/’ he introduces the Homeric
hexameter verse into Swedish poetry.
Geow
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