Ekelöf, Gunnar

Ekelöf, Gunnar (gü`när ĕk`əlöf), 1907–68, Swedish poet. Ekelöf's lifelong interest in mysticism was evident in his first book, Late Arrival on Earth (1932, tr. 1967), a collection of surrealist poems. Later works, such as Ferry Song (1941), involved the conflict between mystical experience and reason. In A Mölna Elegy (1960, tr. 1979) and later in Diwan over the Prince of Emigión (1965) and The Tale of Fatumeh (1966), Ekelöf explored the subjective experience of time. In the 1940s and 50s he experimented with the application of musical forms to verse. His work is admired for its diversity and seriousness; its influence on Swedish poetry has been great.

Bibliography

See study by L. Sjöberg (1973).