His father, Herman Friedrik Obstfelder (1828–1906), was a baker by trade and provided little financial or emotional support.

The difficulties he experienced, a threatening male figure, the loss of the mother and the sense of ever-present death, were strong influences on his writing.

Two years later he started studying engineering at Christiania Technical School (now Oslo ingeniørhøgskole).

[4][5] His first published work was a contribution to the feminist journal Nylænde (New Frontiers) on the topic of the chastity of men before marriage.

The piece features early shades of a recurring theme in his work, the fear of the erotic woman.

[6] Obstfelder's entry into the Norwegian literary scene comes with his meeting Jens Thiis in 1892 in Paris.

Despite producing a relatively small amount of works during his short lifespan, he is considered one of the most important figures in Norwegian literature of the late 19th century.

[8] Obstfelder was a source of inspiration for Rainer Maria Rilke's work The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge.