MOLLER, POUL MARTIN

born March 21, 1794, near Nakskov, Den. died March 13, 1838, Copenhagen author whose novel of student life, the first in his country's literature that dealt with contemporary events, marked an important stage in the history of Danish literature. His aphorism, All poetry that does not come from life is a lie, sums up his realistic approach in a romantic age. After taking a degree in divinity at the University of Copenhagen, Mller began his literary career by translating Homer. To recover from a broken engagement, he went to China as a chaplain on a Danish ship (181921), a journey from which came some journals, a number of Strtanker (Aphorisms), nostalgic poems about Denmark and Copenhagen (e.g., Scener i Rosenborg Have), and a witty parody of statistical-topographical descriptions, Statistisk Skildring af Lgdsgaarden i lsebymagle. After his return he earned his living by teaching classics while studying philosophy. Mller first read his most famous work, En dansk students eventyr (The Adventures of a Danish Student), to the students' union at Copenhagen in 1824. Originally planned as a historical novel in the manner of Sir Walter Scott, it describes, in its final (though fragmentary) form, contemporary student life. Blade af ddens dagbog (Leaves from Death's Diary), a poetic fragment inspired by Lord Byron, and other sketches, such as his witty essay Quindelighed, demonstrate both his mastery of style and his tendency to leave works unfinished. Mller was a lecturer in philosophy at the university in Christiania (now Oslo) from 1826 to 1828, when he became professor, and from 1831 he held the chair of philosophy at Copenhagen. Among his students was Sren Kierkegaard, who much admired him.