Johannes Ewald

Johannes Ewald (18 November 1743 – 17 March 1781) was a Danish national dramatist and poet. The lyrics of a song from one of his plays are used for one of the Danish national anthems, Kong Christian stod ved højen mast. Normally regarded as the most important Danish poet of the second half of the 18th century, he led a short and troubled life, marked by alcoholism and poor health.

He was born in Copenhagen, the son of a pietist vicar, Enevold Ewald, the grandson of pietist Marie Wulf. He was fatherless from an early age. At 15 he ran away and enlisted in the Prussian service. Being compelled to join a regiment of artillery at Magdeburg, instead of being attached to the hussars as he had been promised, he deserted the Prussian standard in the Seven Years' War, and entered the Austrian service. After a few months he again deserted, returned home and began to apply himself seriously to theology.

He was educated as a theologian, but his real interest was in literature. An unhappy love for a girl, Arendse, inspired his later poetry deeply (his description of this love is the first "modern" Danish poetic treatment of the subject).

He came back from the Seven Years' War seriously weakened. The following years were spent living as a bohemian and writing poetry in Copenhagen; they were also a time of alcoholism and conflicts with his mother and stepfather (for most of his life he was under their tutelage and he never took up a profession). His lifestyle had much in common with his contemporary Johan Herman Wessel, but, as writers they differed greatly.

On the death of Frederick V of Denmark, Ewald was requested to compose an elegy (1766). The general admiration with which it was received roused his ambition, and he soon became one of the most eminent lyric and tragic poets of his nation.

From 1773 to 1775 he had a rather happy convalescence at Rungstedlund (later the home of Karen Blixen). Ewald wrote some of his best verses during this time, but a conflict with his family led to his removal to the small North Zealand town of Humlebæk (1775–77), which depressed him and worsened his alcoholism. Finally, friends brought him to Søbækshus, near Helsingør, and where he lived for some years under growing public interest and literary fame, until his early death in Copenhagen, caused by drinking and rheumatism.

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