xposes, in striking and unmistakable words, the hollowness
and shortcomings of the Wergeland party. Welhaven points out, with
emphasis, that he is not only going to espouse the cause of good
taste, which his adversary has outraged, but that he is also about
to discuss problems of general interest. He urges that a Norwegian
culture and literature can not be created out of nothing and to
promote their development it is absolutely necessary to continue
the associations which have hitherto been common to both Norway and
Denmark, and thus to keep in _rapport_ with the general literature
of Europe. When a solid foundation has in this manner been laid, the
necessary materials for a literature would surely not be wanting,
for they are found in abundance, both in the antiquities and in the
popular life of Norway. Welhaven continued his effective work as a
poet and critic. Through a series of romantic and lyrical poems, rich
in contents and highly finished in style, he developed a poetical
life, which had an important influence in the young Norwegian literary
circles. He died in 1873.

Andreas Munch (1811-1884), an able and industrious poetical writer,
took no part in the controversy between Wergeland and Welhaven, but
followed his Danish models independently of either. His _Poems, Old
and New_, published in 1848, were quite popular. His best work is
probably _Kongedatterens Brudefart_, "The Bridal Tour of the King's
Daughter," 1861.

In the period of about a dozen years following the death of Wergeland,
the life, manners, and characteristics of the Norwegian people were
given the especial attention of literary writers. Prominent in this
period was Peter Christian Ashbjornsen (1812-1885), who, partly
alone and partly in conjunction with Bishop Jorgen Moe (1813-1882),
published some valuable collections of Norwegian folk tales and
fairy tales. Moe also published three little volumes of graceful and
attractive poems. Among other writers of this period may be named
Hans H. Schultz, N. Ostgaard, Harald Meltzer, M.B. Landstad, and the
linguist Sophus Bugge.

The efforts to bring out the national life and characteristics of
the people in literature also led to an attempt to nationalize the
language in which the literature was written. The movement was the
so-called _Maalstraev_, and had in view the introduction of a pure
Norwegian book language, based upon the peasant dialects. The
prominent supporter of this movement was Ivar Aase