chool. The leaders of this revolution were
Atterbom, eighteen years old, and Palmblad, twenty!

The first organ of the League was the Polyfem, soon replaced by the
Phosphorus (1810-1813), from which the young enthusiasts received their
sobriquet of "Phosphorists." Theoretically this sheet was given to the
discussion of Schelling's philosophy, and of metaphysical problems in
general; practically, to the publication of the original poetry of the
new school. The Phosphorists did a good work in calling attention to the
old Swedish folk-lore, and awakening a new interest in its imaginative
treasures. But their best service lay in their forcible and earnest
treatment of religious questions, which at that time were most
superficially dealt with.

When the 'Phosphorus' was in its third year the Romanticists united in
bringing out two new organs: the Poetical Calendar (1812-1822), which
published poetry only, and the Swedish Literary News (1813-1824),
containing critical essays of great scientific value. The Phosphorists,
who had shown themselves ardent but not always sagacious fighters, now
appeared at their best, and dashed into the controversy which was
engaging the attention of the Swedish reading public. This included not
only literature, but philosophy and religion, as well as art. The odds
were now on one side, now on the other. The Academicians might easily
have conquered their youthful opponents, however, had not their
bitterness continually forged new weapons against themselves. In 1820
the Phosphorists wrote the excellent satire, 'Marskall's Sleepless
Nights,' aimed at Wallmark, leader of the Academicians. Gradually the
strife died out, and the man who carried off the palm, and for a time
became the leader of Swedish poetry, was Tegner, who was hardly a
partisan of either side.

In 1817 Atterbom had gone abroad, broken down in health by his
uninterrupted studies. While in Germany he entered into a warm
friendship with Schelling and Steffens, and in Naples he met the Danish
sculptor Thorwaldsen, to whose circle of friends he became attached. On
his return he was made tutor of German and literature to the Crown
Prince. In 1828 the Chair of Logics and Metaphysics at Upsala was
offered him, and he held this for seven years, when he exchanged it for
that of Aesthetics. In 1839 he was elected a member of the Academy whose
bitterest enemy he had been, and so the peace was signed.

Atterbom is undoubtedly the greatest lyr