The Angel is a Danish fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, first published in 1843. It was part of Andersen's seventh volume of fairy tales Eventyr, fortalte for Børn (Fairy tales, Told for Children) as Engelen.The story was dedicated to Jenny Lind a Swedish opera singer Andersen was in love with,they were good friends, but she never had any romantic interests with him.
Plot synopsis
A child has died, and an angel is escorting him to Heaven. They wander over the earth for a while, visiting the child's favorite places. Along the way they gather flowers to transplant into the gardens of Heaven. The angel takes the child to a poverty-stricken area where a dead field lily lies in a trash heap. The angel salvages the lily and tells the child a beautiful story, explaining why he wants to take this flower in particular to Heaven.
Analysis
Published in 1844, The Angel is said to exemplify Andersen's writing as belonging to the Romantic Period. It also displays his desire for an uncomplicated relationship with God, untouched by the "hellfire and damnation" strictures of Scandinavian Christianity.
External links
- The original Danish text
- Andersen and God May provide some insight into how The Angel was composed.
- Hans Christian Andersen and Romanticism
- The tale in English
