THORILD, THOMAS

born April 18, 1759, Svarteborg, Swed. died Oct. 1, 1808, Greifswald, Swedish Pomerania original name Thomas Thorn poet and critic who opposed the influence of French classicism on Swedish culture. Thorild studied at Lund and was a tutor who wrote for a prize competition in Stockholm. Passionerna (1781; The Passions), his first poem, a philosophic expression of a pantheistic feeling for nature, greatly startled literary Stockholm. Although Thorild became increasingly involved in political writing during his later years, he also wrote some of the best Swedish poetry of the time, including the Gtamannasnger (Gothic Men's Songs), written in aphoristic formulations reminiscent of the ancient Swedish legal style. He pleaded for positive literary evaluation in his En critik fver critiker (179192; A Critique of Critics). Thorild was banished for political libel after the assassination of Gustav III. He went to Greifswald in 1795 and was appointed professor and librarian there.