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Andersen, Hans Christian
 Andersen,
Hans Christian, 1805–75,
Danish poet, novelist, and writer of fairy tales. Reared in
poverty, he left Odense at 14 for Copenhagen. He failed as an
actor, but his poetry won him generous patrons including King
Frederick VI. In 1829 his fantasy A Journey on Foot from
the Holmen Canal to the Eastern Point of Amager was
published, followed by a volume of poetry in 1830. Granted a
traveling pension by the king, Andersen wrote sketches of the
European countries he visited. His first novel, Improvisatoren
(1835), was well received by the critics. His sentimental
novels were for a time considered his forte. However, with his
first book of fairy tales, Eventyr (1835), he found the
medium of expression that was to immortalize his genius. He
produced about one volume a year and was recognized as
Denmark's greatest author and as a storyteller without peer.
His tales are often tragic or gruesome in plot. His sense of
fantasy, power of description, and acute sensitivity
contributed to his mastery of the genre. Among his many widely
beloved stories are “The Fir-Tree,” “The Little Match
Girl,” “The Ugly Duckling,” “The Snow Queen,” “The
Little Mermaid,” and “The Red Shoes.”
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