The Nightingale (Andersen)

"The Nightingale" is a literary fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen. It was published in 1844 in Andersen's New Fairy Tales (Nye Eventyr) with "The Angel", "The Sweethearts", and "The Ugly Duckling". The critics liked these stories. Andersen's inspiration for "The Nightingale" was Tivoli Gardens, an amusement park with Chinese decorations in Copenhagen which opened in the summer of 1843. Another inspiration was Jenny Lind, a Swedish opera singer. Andersen was infatuated with her.^[1] She was known as the "Swedish Nightingale". Andersen began writing the tale on 11 October 1843 and completed it within 24 hours.^[2]

1. ↑ Frank, pp. 139, 150-1
2. ↑ Wullschlager, p. 230