Famous Danish Poets

Soren Kierkegaard was a Danish philosopher, theologian, social critic, poet, and religious author. Widely regarded as the first existentialist philosopher, Soren Kierkegaard is sometimes referred to as the Father of Existentialism. He is also credited with influencing many theologians, philosophers, and writers like Paul Feyerabend, Ludwig Wittgenstein, and Jorge Luis Borges.

Piet Hein was a Danish polymath. He was an expert in mathematics and was also an inventor, designer, and writer. He studied at the University of Copenhagen and Technical University of Denmark. He joined the Danish resistance movement when the Germans invaded Denmark. In his later years, he invented the Soma cube and devised the games of Hex and Tower.   

Danish author Jens Peter Jacobsen is remembered for pioneering the Naturalist mode of writing in Danish literature. While he initially translated some of Charles Darwin’s works, he later penned novels such as Marie Grubbe: A Lady of the Seventeenth Century. He is also known for his poems, which were released posthumously.

Holger Drachmann was a Danish poet, dramatist, and painter. Artistically inclined from a young age, he chose to pursue painting professionally. He also composed poems and staged semi-poetic performances. He focused on writing for many years before returning to art, often painting pictures of ships and the sea.  His relationship with multiple women made him a controversial figure. 

Danish author Johan Ludvig Heiberg was one of the most prominent figures of the Danish Romantic school. He was also a pioneer of Hegelianism and vaudeville in Denmark. Om Vaudevillen remains one of his best-known works. He also taught Danish at the University of Kiel. His satirical works, however, made him unpopular.

Poul Martin Møller was a Danish academic, poet, and writer. Møller gained recognition for his poetry during his lifetime. After his death, many of his philosophical and fiction writings were published and were received well as well. Poul Martin Møller is perhaps best remembered for mentoring Søren Kierkegaard at the University of Copenhagen where he was serving as a professor.

Carsten Hauch was a Danish poet, novelist, and dramatist. Although he had the option to quit writing when his works were attacked and criticized and focus solely on the study of science—he had a doctors degree in zoology—Carsten Hauch chose not to give up writing and went on to establish himself as a well-known novelist and dramatist.