No collection of fairy tales is complete without the influential and innovative works of Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. The profound literature of Andersen has impacted both children and adults alike. From The Little Mermaid to The Snow Queen, Andersen’s works have been translated into thousands of languages, allowing the whimsical tales to reach all walks of life. This paper intends to discuss the Andersen’s early life spent perseverance in writing, the struggles he endured, and the impact of the struggles on his unique literary style. Born in Odense, Denmark, Hans Christian Andersen was born an only son to his father Hans, a poor shoemaker and mother Anne Marie an illiterate washerwoman (The British Library Board). Andersen’s childhood
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A string of unsuccessful financial endeavors sent Andersen on a wild goose chase after odd jobs. Seeking employment as an actor, Andersen auditioned for the Royal Danish Theatre choir as a soprano, unfortunately his voice deepened with age and Andersen was told to leave. A fellow colleague suggested Andersen take up poetry, so he began to write. Jonas Collin, a director at the theatre, took to a liking of Andersen’s writing ambition, and presented Andersen with a scholarship to complete his studies. Spending seven years under the supervision of a neurotic headmaster who ridiculed Andersen for his desire to become an author, Andersen felt he was going mad. Simon Meisling, the pedagogue who dismissed Andersen’s creative writing, claimed the idea of being a writer is preposterous. Out of defiance, Andersen wrote the poem “The Dying Child”, an unusual poem written from a child’s perspective (Nunnally 238). The poem evoked a haunting sadness fueled by the author’s own misery with verses such …show more content…
One element of Andersen’s style that is seen in several of his tales is Andersen’s flair for dramatic writing.
"Now I dare speak!" she cried. "I am innocent!" The people knowing that a miracle had taken place, kneeled down before her as they would have for a saint. But Elisa, worn out by fear, worry, and pain, fainted lifelessly into the arms of one of her brothers.
A string of unsuccessful financial endeavors sent Andersen on a wild goose chase after odd jobs. Seeking employment as an actor, Andersen auditioned for the Royal Danish Theatre choir as a soprano, unfortunately his voice deepened with age and Andersen was told to leave. A fellow colleague suggested Andersen take up poetry, so he began to write. Jonas Collin, a director at the theatre, took to a liking of Andersen’s writing ambition, and presented Andersen with a scholarship to complete his studies. Spending seven years under the supervision of a neurotic headmaster who ridiculed Andersen for his desire to become an author, Andersen felt he was going mad. Simon Meisling, the pedagogue who dismissed Andersen’s creative writing, claimed the idea of being a writer is preposterous. Out of defiance, Andersen wrote the poem “The Dying Child”, an unusual poem written from a child’s perspective (Nunnally 238). The poem evoked a haunting sadness fueled by the author’s own misery with verses such …show more content…
One element of Andersen’s style that is seen in several of his tales is Andersen’s flair for dramatic writing.
"Now I dare speak!" she cried. "I am innocent!" The people knowing that a miracle had taken place, kneeled down before her as they would have for a saint. But Elisa, worn out by fear, worry, and pain, fainted lifelessly into the arms of one of her brothers.