JØRGENSEN, JOHANNES

(1866-1956)

A Danish poet and novelist, Jørgensen came to the forefront of Danish cultural life through his editorship of the literary magazineTaarnet(1893-1894; The Tower), through which he championed the literary ideas of the 1890s in opposition to thenaturalists. His poetry collectionBekendelse(1894; Confession) and his brief novelSommer(1892; Summer) both fail to live up to the ideals ofsymbolismbut express a strong romantic longing for the past. After his conversion to Roman Catholicism in 1896, Jørgensen was very much at peace with himself, as shown, for example, by the poetry collectionAf det Dybe(1920; From the Depths). A vigorous apologist for Roman Catholicism, Jørgensen wrote several books about saints. His autobiography bears the titleMit Livs Legende(1916-1928; tr.Jørgensen, An Autobiography, 1928-1929).