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372 A History of Sweden
In his "Swedish Pictures" he sings the praises not
only of heroic exploits on the battle field, but of peace-
ful achievements as well, and of the power to endure
pain and privation, which has enabled the Swedish
people to pass through so many trying times.
One of the most beautiful traits of this, by birth and
character, noble knight was his sympathy with the
toiling masses in their struggle toward light and free-
dom. Evidence of this trait may be seen in his poems
such as "The Serving Brother." In his clear and beau-
tiful diction, Snoilsky is an heir of Kellgren and Teg-
ner. He has been called "the last Gustavian" in Swed-
ish literature.
E. REALISM AND IDEALISM AFTER 1880
The Nineteenth Century. Although Romanticism
had its beginning near the opening of the nineteenth
century, that century was not favorable to it. It came
to be the age of steam, of railroads, and of machine
production, ending with social, industrial, and political
struggles. Stern reality soon claimed and received the
people’s interest. The dreams of Romanticism faded
away. The age of untility had returned. Romanticism
with its hostility to reality and its sentimentalism did
not belong to an age of materialism and activity.
August Strindberg. The foremost name in Swedish
realism is August Strindberg, and his pioneer work in
this line is "The Red Room." This realism is not
pleased with life, as Runeberg’s was. It aims to lay
bare the misery and wretchedness of society, and
hence often becomes bitter and gloomy. The teachers
of Swedish realism were the three noted Norwegians,
Ibsen, Bjornson, and Lie.
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