Before the outbreak of World War II, the literary world in general opposed Nazi tendencies. The post-war period brought many new themes, but it was much later that many new talents were recognized.
![Một thoáng văn học Đan Mạch [Kỳ 5]](https://vstatic.vietnam.vn/vietnam/resource/IMAGE/2025/1/20/cdf8338c43854f5f8d97cb4d770fb1a1 "A Glimpse of Danish Literature [Part 5]") |
| Copenhagen, Denmark. |
MODERN LITERARY PERIOD
Post-war literature (after 1945)
Before the outbreak of World War II, the literary world in general opposed Nazi tendencies. The German occupation from 1940 was a fatal blow to what little faith remained in progress, culture, and ideals. The post-war period brought many new themes, but it was much later that many new talents were recognized.
Poetry of the 1940s and 1950s: During the war years, people felt a cultural crisis. Some poets continued to write in the traditional style, composing simple, melancholic verses. The general poetic trend, represented by the Heretica group of newspapers (1948-1953), went against the rationalist and materialist poetic trends of the 1930s, expressing anxiety and despair.
M. Neilsen (1922-1944) joined the resistance and died young. His poetry is typical of a young generation that had lost all illusions but was ready to sacrifice for freedom.
H. Rasmussen (born 1915) wrote resistance poetry. After the war, his poetic voice became bitter, skeptical, and eventually humorous.
O. Sarvig (born 1921) wrote poetry with cosmic sentiments, connected to abstract painting. His novels are closer to the French "New Novel" or detective fiction.
Th. Bjornvig (1918-2004) felt that the secret of love and God's grace was the path to liberation from chaos and uncertainty. He revolutionized love poetry.
O. Wivel (born 1921) published the newspaper Heretica. He expressed the anxieties of modern man and later turned to the Gospel – he was influenced by German poetry.
F. Jaeger (1926-1977) wrote poetry and novels, his writing style humorous and unrestrained.
Prose in the 1950s: In contrast to poetry, which underwent many changes, prose remained largely consistent with the traditions of the 1930s. There was a tendency to create a mythical atmosphere.
![Strolling through the American Cultural Garden [Part 2]](https://vphoto.vietnam.vn/thumb/192x108/vietnam/resource/IMAGE/2025/1/21/4c22c6e00c9f43d8b119322885d85284)
W.A. Linneman (born 1914) was a gifted storyteller. His three-volume novel series mimicked the "romantic" style, depicting contemporary Europeans through stories told to each other in bomb shelters.
A. Dam (1889-1972) wrote stories on a theme previously proposed by Blixen: humanity must realize itself in relation to fate.
The realist trend was experimental, linked to European modernism.
V. Sorensen (born 1929) writes existentialist-flavored criticism and philosophical fiction, influenced by Kafka and Thomas Mann, yet still deeply rooted in the Nordic tradition. He was awarded the Critics' Prize in 1997.
P. Seeberg (born 1925) accurately recounts the "fables" unfolding in peaceful Denmark.
L. Panduro (1923-1977) presents a typical character who is fragmented by being tied to the past, anxious about the rigid conventions and norms of society.
Theater and poetry of the 1960s: Post-war poetry expressed helplessness and fear, seeking escape in cosmic and metaphysical emotions. In the 1950s, poetry gradually shifted towards social realism. In the 1960s, this trend became stronger (Panduro's realist drama, more outdoor poetry, experimental poetry).
The plays of E. Bolsen (born 1923) were most acclaimed. He combined realism and libel, criticizing key issues of capitalist society, such as the entertainment industry, manipulation of public opinion, neo-fascism, etc.
Poetry in the early 1960s was characterized by modern lyricism, embracing a welfare society and commercialization.
K. Riebjerg (born 1931) is a versatile talent who has made a name for himself in poetry, journalism, film, fiction, and theater.
I. Malinovski (born 1926) was influenced by Swedish poets and adopted a revolutionary left-wing stance. S. Sonne was a poet who depicted historical and mythical visions from ancient times, in distant lands.
Critic and poet JG Brandt (born 1929) championed art for art's sake and leaned towards mysticism.
B. Andersen (born 1929) wrote portrait poems of alienated, monological human beings.
Modern prose: The 1960s were a milestone. This generation was influenced by the French New Novel (a novel without a plot, without distinction between author and character).
S.A. Madsen (born 1939) writes novels through which political and social ideas gradually emerge. This is also evident in S. Holm (born 1940), who combines existentialism with socialism. The prose and poetry of C. Bodker (born 1927) have a mythical tendency. The poet and novelist V. Ryun (born 1937) depicts a secret world, a blend of everyday reality and fantasy. D. Willumsen (born 1940) tells fantastical, surreal stories, depicting alienated lives. She received the 1997 Nordic Council literary prize.
New Realism: Around 1965, Thorkild Hansen (1927-1989) heralded this trend with works based on historical documents.
The most prolific and famous author of "New Realism" novels is A. Bodelsen (born 1937). His novels tell stories with an objective style about welfare society. He addresses current political and economic issues, writing in a modern style that is very engaging.
C. Kampmann (born 1939) also critically analyzed the middle-class lifestyle, but delved deeper into its psychology.
H. Stangerup (born 1937) is a journalist, filmmaker, and critic. His primary focus is the dark side of modern welfare society. He satirically exposes the dishonesty of journalism.
Source
![[Image] National conference summarizing one year of operation of the overall organizational model of the political system, the three-tiered government model.](https://vphoto.vietnam.vn/thumb/1200x675/vietnam/resource/IMAGE/2026/07/01/1782882811691_ndo_br_1-jpg.webp)
