Jens Baggesen
Jens Immanuel Baggesen[1] (15 February 1764 – 3 October 1826) was a major Danish poet, librettist, critic, and comic writer.
Jens Baggesen
Legacy[edit]
Baggesen's many-sided talents achieved success in all forms of writing, but his political, philosophical, and critical works fell out of favor by the mid-19th century. His satire is marred by his egotism and passions, but his comic poems are deathless. His finished and elegant style was very influential on later Danish literature, in which he is regarded as the major figure between Holberg and Oehlenschläger. His greatest success, however, has proven to be the simple song Da Jeg Var Lille[3] ("There Was a Time when I Was Very Little")[4] which was known by heart among Danes a century after his death. It outlived all of his epics.[2]
There is a statue of Baggesen on Havnepladsen in Korsør, unveiled on 6 May 1906 by Professor Vilhelm Andersen. The local Best Western hotel is also named after him.
