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Bengt Gunnar Ekelöf (15 September 1907 – 16 March 1968) was a Swedish poet and writer. He was a member of the
Swedish Academy The Swedish Academy (), founded in 1786 by King Gustav III, is one of the Royal Academies of Sweden. Its 18 members, who are elected for life, comprise the highest Swedish language authority. Outside Scandinavia, it is best known as the body t ...
from 1958 and was awarded an
honorary doctorate An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or '' ad hon ...
in philosophy by
Uppsala University Uppsala University (UU) () is a public university, public research university in Uppsala, Sweden. Founded in 1477, it is the List of universities in Sweden, oldest university in Sweden and the Nordic countries still in operation. Initially fou ...
in 1958. He won a number of prizes for his poetry.


Life and works


Early life and debut

Gunnar Ekelöf was born on 15 September 1907 in
Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...
. He has been called Sweden's first
surrealist Surrealism is an art movement, art and cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists aimed to allow the unconscious mind to express itself, often resulting in the depiction of illogical or dreamlike s ...
poet. He made his debut with the collection ''sent på jorden'' ("late on earth") in 1932, written during an extended stay in Paris in 1929–1930, which was too unconventional to become widely appreciated and described by its author as capturing a period of suicidal thoughts and apocalyptic moods. It was in a sense an act of literary revolt akin to Edith Södergran's ''Septemberlyran'' of a dozen years earlier. While not disavowing his debut, Ekelöf moved towards
romanticism Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century. The purpose of the movement was to advocate for the importance of subjec ...
and received better reviews for his second poetry collection, ''Dedikation'' (1934). Both the volumes are influenced by surrealism and show a violent, at times feverish torrent of images, deliberate breakdown of ordered syntax and traditional poetic language and a defiant spirit bordering on anarchism ("cut your belly cut your belly and don't think of any tomorrow" runs the black humorous refrain of a poem called "fanfare" in ''sent på jorden''; a collection that eschews capital letters). This defiant externalism was grounded in his person. Though he came from an upper-class background, Ekelöf had never felt committed to it – his father had been mentally ill and when his mother remarried, Ekelöf strongly disapproved of his stepfather, and by extension of his mother; he had become a loner and a rebel by his teens and would never feel at ease with the mores of the established upper and middle classes or with their inhibitions and what he perceived as their hypocrisy and back-scratching. Swedish critic Anders Olsson described Ekelöf's turn to poetry as a choice of "the only utterance that doesn't expurge the contradictions and empty spaces of language and of the mind."


Mid-career

''Färjesång'' (1941), showed influence from
T.S. Eliot Thomas Stearns Eliot (26 September 18884 January 1965) was a poet, essayist and playwright.Bush, Ronald. "T. S. Eliot's Life and Career", in John A Garraty and Mark C. Carnes (eds), ''American National Biography''. New York: Oxford University ...
, whose poem ''
East Coker East Coker is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England. Its nearest town is Yeovil, to the north. The village has a population of 1,667. The parish includes the hamlets and areas of North Coker, Burton, Holywell, Coker Marsh, Darvole, ...
'' Ekelöf had translated to Swedish. It took influence from oriental poetry and the darkness of the ongoing
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. Ekelöf himself considered ''Färjesång'' as his personal breakthrough and with its simple and effective language it has had an strong influence on later Swedish poetry. ''Färjesång'' was followed by the acclaimed works, the prose book ''Promenader'' (1941, "Walks"), the disillusioned ''
Non Serviam ''Non serviam'' is Latin for "I will not serve". Today "non serviam" is also used as a motto by a number of political, cultural, and religious groups to express their wish to rebel. It may be used to express a radical view against established b ...
'' (1945) in which the title poem borrowed from
Lucifer The most common meaning for Lucifer in English is as a name for the Devil in Christian theology. He appeared in the King James Version of the Bible in Isaiah and before that in the Vulgate (the late-4th-century Latin translation of the Bib ...
's motto "I will not serve" in
latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
, which symbolises a refusal to adapt to the conformity of the welfare society, and ''Om hösten'' (1951, "In autumn") which includes the well-known poem "Röster under jorden" ("Underground voices"). In ''Strountes'' (1955), from Swedish "strunt" ("nonsense"), Ekelöf returned to his attacks on literary conventions, exploring meaninglessness. With his continual wordplay, he demonstrated that meaning can emerge from apparent nonsense. Similar themes were explored in ''Opus incertum'' (1959) och ''En natt i Otočac'' (1961). The poetry suite ''En Mölna-elegi. Metamorfoser'' (1960) features an advanced technique of
allusion Allusion, or alluding, is a figure of speech that makes a reference to someone or something by name (a person, object, location, etc.) without explaining how it relates to the given context, so that the audience must realize the connection in the ...
s, in which the protagonist in a short moment experiences a long time sequence.


Recognition

In April 1958, Ekelöf was elected a member of the
Swedish Academy The Swedish Academy (), founded in 1786 by King Gustav III, is one of the Royal Academies of Sweden. Its 18 members, who are elected for life, comprise the highest Swedish language authority. Outside Scandinavia, it is best known as the body t ...
, succeeding author Bertil Malmberg on chair 18 in December the same year. ''En Mölna-elegi'' ("A Mölna Elegy", 1960), a lengthy
elegy An elegy is a poem of serious reflection, and in English literature usually a lament for the dead. However, according to ''The Oxford Handbook of the Elegy'', "for all of its pervasiveness ... the 'elegy' remains remarkably ill defined: sometime ...
Ekelöf had already begun composing in the 1930s, was a highly personal collection of free associations, moods and memories featuring intertextual references to
Emanuel Swedenborg Emanuel Swedenborg (; ; born Emanuel Swedberg; (29 January 168829 March 1772) was a Swedish polymath; scientist, engineer, astronomer, anatomist, Christian theologian, philosopher, and mysticism, mystic. He became best known for his book on the ...
,
Carl Michael Bellman Carl Michael Bellman (; 4 February 1740 – 11 February 1795) was a Swedish songwriter, composer, musician, poet, and entertainer. He is a central figure in the Swedish song tradition and remains a powerful influence in Swedish music, as wel ...
,
August Strindberg Johan August Strindberg (; ; 22 January 184914 May 1912) was a Swedish playwright, novelist, poet, essayist, and painter.Lane (1998), 1040. A prolific writer who often drew directly on his personal experience, Strindberg wrote more than 60 pla ...
, Edith Södergran, and others. The poems deal with the Proustian theme of memory; the collection has been called Ekelöf's most
Joycean A text is deemed Joycean when it is reminiscent of the writings of James Joyce, particularly '' Ulysses'' or ''Finnegans Wake''. Joycean fiction exhibits a high degree of verbal play, usually within the framework of stream of consciousness. Works ...
work. On its publication, the book received strongly positive reviews by contemporary critics.


Last works

Ekelöf's last works, ''Dīwān över Fursten av Emgión'' (1965, `` Diwan on the Prince of Emgion``), ''Sagan om Fatumeh'' (1966, "The Tale of Fatumeh") and ''Vägvisare till underjorden'' (1967, "Guide to the Underworld") was a trilogy with
Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...
theme. The trilogy was inspired by journey to
Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...
and
İzmir İzmir is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, third most populous city in Turkey, after Istanbul and Ankara. It is on the Aegean Sea, Aegean coast of Anatolia, and is the capital of İzmir Province. In 2024, the city of İzmir had ...
in 1965 that resulted in an outburst of creativity. In his diary, Ekelöf described the visit as a
revelation Revelation, or divine revelation, is the disclosing of some form of Religious views on truth, truth or Knowledge#Religion, knowledge through communication with a deity (god) or other supernatural entity or entities in the view of religion and t ...
that would change his life. ''Dīwān över Fursten av Emgión'' tells the story of the fictive Prince of Emgión who participated in the
Battle of Manzikert The Battle of Manzikert or Malazgirt was fought between the Byzantine Empire and the Seljuk Empire on 26 August 1071 near Manzikert, Iberia (theme), Iberia (modern Malazgirt in Muş Province, Turkey). The decisive defeat of the Byzantine army ...
, was captured, tortured and blinded, and then jailed in
Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...
for ten years. On his way home, the Prince is accompanied by a mysterious woman, assisting him in his blindness. For this book, Ekelöf was awarded the
Nordic Council Literature Prize The Nordic Council Literature Prize is awarded for a work of literature written in one of the languages of the Nordic countries, that meets "high literary and artistic standards". Established in 1962, the prize is awarded every year, and is worth ...
in 1966.


Legacy

Ekelöf is remembered as one of the first
surrealist Surrealism is an art movement, art and cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists aimed to allow the unconscious mind to express itself, often resulting in the depiction of illogical or dreamlike s ...
poets of Sweden. He died on 16 March 1968 in
Sigtuna Sigtuna is a Urban areas in Sweden, locality situated in the eponymous Sigtuna Municipality, in Stockholm County, Sweden with 9,689 inhabitants in 2020. It is the namesake even though the seat of the municipality is in another locality, Märsta. S ...
. According to his will, his ashes were scattered in the river
Pactolus Pactolus (), also called Chrysorrhoas (Χρυσορρόας), the modern Sart Çayı , is a river near the Aegean coast of Turkey. The river rises from Mount Tmolus, flows through the ruins of the ancient city of Sardis, and empties into the Ged ...
(now the river Sart) in
Salihli Salihli is a municipality and district of Manisa Province, Turkey. Its area is 1,359 km2, and its population is 165,182 (2023). The ancient Lydian capitals of Sardes and Daldis are located within Salihli. Geography The city of Salihli, whic ...
, Turkey.
Ovid Publius Ovidius Naso (; 20 March 43 BC – AD 17/18), known in English as Ovid ( ), was a Augustan literature (ancient Rome), Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. He was a younger contemporary of Virgil and Horace, with whom he i ...
records the legend that King
Midas Midas (; ) was a king of Phrygia with whom many myths became associated, as well as two later members of the Phrygian royal house. His father was Gordias, and his mother was Cybele. The most famous King Midas is popularly remembered in Greek m ...
divested himself of the golden touch by washing himself in that river. On the 103rd anniversary of his birth, 40 Swedish poetry enthusiasts gathered in Salihli. Together with the deputy mayor, they honored Ekelöf's legacy in the city, which he had come to admire ardently on a visit in 1965, and had portrayed in several poems. A bust of Ekelöf by
Gürdal Duyar Gürdal Duyar (20 August 1935 – 18 April 2004) was a Turkish sculptor who is known for his monuments to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Atatürk and his Bust (sculpture), busts of famous people. His art is characterized as having a Modern sculpture, ...
was to have been placed there, but this was never done, and it now waits in the garden of the Swedish Embassy in Istanbul.


Selected bibliography


In Swedish

* ''Sent på jorden'' "late on earth", poems (1932) (title in lower case lettering; this is retained in all reprints) * ''Fransk surrealism'' "French Surrealism", translations (1933) * ''Dedikation'' "Dedication", poems (1934) * ''Hundra år modern fransk dikt'' "100 Years of Modern French Poetry", translations (1934) * ''Sorgen och stjärnan'' "The Sorrow and the Star", poems (1936) * ''Köp den blindes sång'' "Buy the Blind Man's Song", poems (1938) * ''Färjesång'' "Ferry Song", poems (1941) * ''Promenader'' "Walks", essays (1941) * ''Non serviam'' "
Non Serviam ''Non serviam'' is Latin for "I will not serve". Today "non serviam" is also used as a motto by a number of political, cultural, and religious groups to express their wish to rebel. It may be used to express a radical view against established b ...
", poems (1945) * ''Utflykter'' "Excursions", essays (1947) * ''Om hösten'' "In Autumn", poems (1951) * ''Strountes'' "Nonsense", poems (1955) * ''Blandade kort'' "Shuffled Cards", essays (1957) * ''Opus incertum'' "Opus Incertum", poems (1959) * ''En Mölna-elegi'' "A Mölna-Elegy", poem (1960) * ''Valfrändskaper'' "Elective Affinities", translations (1960) * ''En natt i Otocac'' "A night in Otocac", poems (1961) * ''Diwan över fursten av Emgión'' " Diwan on the Prince of Emgion", poems (1965) * ''Sagan om Fatumeh'' "The Tale of Fatumeh", poems (1966) * ''Vägvisare till underjorden'' "Guide to the Underworld", trans.
Rika Lesser Rika Lesser (born 1953 Brooklyn, New York) is an American poet, and is a translator of Swedish and German literary works. Life Lesser earned her bachelor's degree at Yale University in 1974. She studied at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden ...
, poems (1967) * ''Partitur'' "Score" (poems and drafts from his final year) (1969) * ''Lägga patience'' "Solitaire Game", essays (1969) * ''En självbiografi'' "An Autobiography", miscellaneous (1971) * ''En röst'' "A Voice", sketches, diary notes, poems (1973) A collected volume of Ekelöf's poetry, ''Dikter'' ("Poems"), was published by Mån Pocket in 1987.


In English

* ''Selected Poems of Gunnar Ekelöf'', translated by
Muriel Rukeyser Muriel Rukeyser (December 15, 1913 – February 12, 1980) was an American poet, essayist, biographer, novelist, screenwriter and political activist. She wrote across genres and forms, addressing issues related to racial, gender and class justice ...
and Leif Sjöberg, (New York: Twayne Publishers, 1967) * ''Late Arrival on Earth: Selected Poems'', translated by
Robert Bly Robert Elwood Bly (December 23, 1926 – November 21, 2021) was an American poet, essayist, activist and leader of the mythopoetic men's movement. His best-known prose book is '' Iron John: A Book About Men'' (1990), which spent 62 weeks on ...
and Christina Paulston,(London: Rapp & Carroll, 1967) * ''I Do Best Alone at Night'', translated by Robert Bly and Christina Paulston, (Washington: The Charioteer Press, 1968) * ''Selected Poems'', translated by
W. H. Auden Wystan Hugh Auden (; 21 February 1907 – 29 September 1973) was a British-American poet. Auden's poetry is noted for its stylistic and technical achievement, its engagement with politics, morals, love, and religion, and its variety in tone, ...
and Leif Sjöberg, (New York: Pantheon Books, 1971) * ''A Mölna Elegy'', translated by
Muriel Rukeyser Muriel Rukeyser (December 15, 1913 – February 12, 1980) was an American poet, essayist, biographer, novelist, screenwriter and political activist. She wrote across genres and forms, addressing issues related to racial, gender and class justice ...
and Leif Sjöberg, (Greensboro, NC: Unicorn Press, Inc., 1984) Ekelöf made some substantial re-edits of the text and sequence of poems in later collected editions and anthologies of his work, especially relating to his 1930s books.


References


Sources

*


External links


The Gunnar Ekelöf society homepage
(in Swedish) * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ekelof, Gunnar 1907 births 1968 deaths Members of the Swedish Academy Swedish-language poets Swedish-language writers Modernist poets Dobloug Prize winners Nordic Council Literature Prize winners 20th-century Swedish poets Poets from Stockholm