SPEECH AT THE FESTIVAL OF THE NORWEGIAN WOMEN’S RIGHTS LEAGUE, CHRISTIANIA, MAY 26th, 1898

I AM not a member of the Women’s Rights League. Whatever I have written has been without any conscious thought of making propaganda. I have been more poet and less social philosopher than people generally seem inclined to believe. I thank you for the toast, but must disclaim the honour of having consciously worked for the women’s rights movement. I am not even quite clear as to just what this women’s rights movement really is. To me it has seemed a problem of humanity in general. And if you read my books carefully you will understand this. True enough, it is desirable to solve the problem of women’s rights, along with all the others; but that has not been the whole purpose. My task has been the description of humanity. To be sure, whenever such a description is felt to be reasonably true, the reader will insert his own feelings and sentiments into the work of the poet. These are attributed to the poet; but incorrectly so. Every reader remolds it so beautifully and nicely, each according to his own personality. Not only those who write, but also those who read are poets; they are collaborators; they are often more poetical than the poet himself.

With these reservations I undertake to thank you for the toast which has been given to me. For this I recognize, indeed, that women have an important task to perform in the particular directions this club is working along. I will express my thanks by proposing a toast to the Women’s Rights League, wishing’ it progress and success.

The task always before my mind has been to advance our country and give the people a higher standard. To obtain this, two factors are of importance: it is for the mothers by strenuous and sustained labor to awaken a conscious feeling of culture and discipline. This must be created in men before it will be possible to lift the people to a higher plane. It is the women who are to solve the social problem. As mothers they are to do it. And only as such can they do it. Here lies a great task for woman. My thanks! and success to the Women’s Rights League!