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literati re.
489
reading. The poet has himself composed tunes for some of his songs otherwise
he has generally borrowed the melodies from known ballads and then altered
them to suit the words, thus creating a harmonious whole. Even in our own
days Bellman’s songs are sung with predilection by the people.
Statue of Karl Mikael Bellman. At Hasselbacken Stockholm.
The French influence, which had begun to assert itself during the Period of
Liberty, reached its climax during the reign of Gustavus III (1746 — 92), one of
the "enlightened" despots of this epoch. Gustavus III was French in his education
and inclinations, and during his reign French ideas and French taste were
predominant. But to uplift Swedish culture was nevertheless the king’s aim,
and the poets with whom he surrounded himself most frequently treated patriotic
subjects, even if the style showed signs of foreign impulse. Taking the French
Academy as a model, the King founded the Swedish Academy and entrusted
to its members the task of devoting themselves to rhetoric and poetry, as well
as to the cultivation of the language. Gustavus III above all took an interest
in the drama, and, jointly with his protegés among the poets, produced several
dramas and opera librettos. Chief among these co-workers of the king was
•7. H. Kellgren (1751—95) who, side by side with Gustavus III, is the most
typical representative of his period. By his study of French literature Kellgren
had gained a strong sense of form, and hence his poetic style is unusually
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